Existence
by Kiiam
Summary: What is our existence? If you're a demon container living among humans is your existence the same as theirs? As truths are revealed to Naruto will he fight to find his existence or give in to death?
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: (Important: Read please) In this story Naruto starts out as a 13 year old. He knows he is a demon container and that will be mentioned in the beginning. As this is my first story I will ask that if you people must flame me, be light and constructive. I hate critics who tell me what I should change and how I write my story. I write what I want and not what other people want me to. Pointing out any spelling or grammar mistakes is okay though. (I suck at that kind of thing) If you don't like this story then read something else you find interesting. If you do read it, please review. A handful of characters in this are OOC and AU just so you know. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE. Enjoy.

**Chapter 1**

Uzumaki Naruto yawned and shifted in his bed. He couldn't get comfortable. After hours of training, hours of sweat, blood, and severe body damage, sleeping couldn't have sounded more appealing to the 13-year-old boy. Yet, he could not sleep. Naruto sat up and ran his hand through his messy blond hair.

"I wonder if he's still awake." The blond thought out loud. "Screw it, he never sleeps anyway."

Naruto closed his eyes and let darkness roll over him. He didn't fall asleep. He merely went into a semi-conscious state. Naruto found himself in a dark hallway. The walls were made of metal and leaking pipes were set above his head. The cold water between his toes sent a shiver down his spine. The blond walked down the tunnel only hearing the dripping water and splashes his feet made moving in the water.

"**What do you want, Kit?" **

Naruto looked up through half-lidded eyes into huge, red glaring ones. Many large, iron bars separated the two from each other. Whatever was in the cage smiled showing its sharp, deadly teeth.

"**Could it be you've come to let me devour your soul?" **The voice said in a voice that was mocking, sarcastic, sadistic, and just a tiny bit hopeful.

"You wish." Naruto frowned. "Just came to chat. I couldn't sleep."

"**Aw, do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?" **The voice laughed.

"That would be nice."

The voice growled. "**Tch, how I would love to rip you apart right now." **The voice spat annoyed at Naruto's behavior.

"That ain't gonna happen any time soon, fur ball." Naruto smirked. He knocked on the cage bars. "Strong as steel."

A huge clawed hand smashed the cage from the inside and cut Naruto across the chest. He hopped back clutching the deep wound.

"**Don't get to close, Kit." **The voice chuckled.** "I could really hurt someone with these."**

Naruto spat on the ground and took his blood stained hand off his wound. Steam started to come from the gash as it closed up and new skin formed. Naruto sighed.

"You should treat guests more kindly. You're a really bad host, fur ball." Naruto said.

"**I told you to call me Kyuubi! The Great Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi no Kitsune!" **The voice said threateningly.

"Sorry." Naruto yawned. "Kyuubi doesn't really roll off the tongue. I like fur ball. It's catchy."

The voice growled. **"What do you want?"**

"Just wanted to talk." Naruto sat down. The water was now gone. The immense chakra coming from the cage kept it at bay. "Besides," The blond continued. "You never finished your story."

"**Ha Ha, that's right." **The demon chuckled. "**I was telling you how I slaughtered your pathetic village."**

"Almost." The blond pointed out.

The Kyuubi growled. "**If it weren't for that inferior human I would have burned your village to the ground."**

"I know that better than anyone." Naruto muttered.

The demon smirked. "**It seems like it was only a few days ago." **Kyuubi sighed. "**I had come a little late. The humans already had all their weapons out; every mortal had come to stop me. I approached the village crushing anything under my feet. I snapped their weapons beneath me like twigs. I cut them all down, I burned many, I even ate some tasty looking ones."**

"You're sick, you know that?" Naruto growled. The demon fox just laughed.

"**Oh, if you could see the look on their faces. Fear, anger, despair, hopelessness, I savored every kill…and I enjoyed it." **The demon cackled with mirth. Naruto twisted his face in disgust. He could sense the blood lust coming from the contained beast. His laughing stopped abruptly.

"**But then, **_**HE,**_** came." **The demon snarled. "**The human mounted on the chief toad. To think he defeated me, a mortal. I greatly underestimated him. I laughed at his hopeless effort at stopping me. One moment he was there, the next he was gone." **

The Yondaime Hokage. Naruto pointed out.

"**Yes." **The Kyuubi nodded his massive head. "**I gave him the slightest opening. I didn't try to give him one but he did it. He sealed me inside you. In that split second. I still can't believe it." **The Kyuubi chuckled. "**I can't even count the many times I told myself it was just a dream, that it was impossible for a mere human to accomplish such a feat. Yet, here we are."**

Naruto sighed. The fur ball was quite a talker. "You could make things more short." The boy stated. "You killed almost everyone, the fourth hokage sealed you in me, you and everyone else in this forsaken village make my life hell. Short and sweet."

"**Why don't you just kill them?" **The Kyuubi suggested evilly. "**Oh, how I would love to see this village put down, residents slaughtered, maybe one or two humans impaled on a light post. That would be most entertaining."**

"You're graphic about everything aren't you?" Naruto frowned. The demon fox just chuckled.

It's true though the demon container had fantasized about killing a few of the people who glared, hurt, and even beat him when he was young. Naruto didn't hate them though. He strongly disliked them. Most of the villagers knew he was the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It had been made public after the Yondaime had died sealing the fox. The third hokage had announced to all the ninja that the Kyuubi could not be killed by human hands and was sealed away inside a blond haired baby, Naruto. Most of the ninjas spread the word and all the villagers had been furious to know that the demon who killed they're friends and family was still alive. They all saw Naruto as a human form of the Kyuubi and he was treated very harshly for it. They felt that the container was just like the fox and had murdered the Yondaime. Naruto was hurt so many times by the avengers that so happened to the residents of the village. He lost count of the times he was left crying in the abandoned streets of Konoha village lying in a pool of blood that seeped from his cuts and gashes inflicted on him by his attackers. But that had awakened the Kyuubi.

Naruto had been beaten rather hard at the time, having more injuries than what was healthy. He thought he was going to die. He then found himself inside his mind, in a sub-conscious state. He traveled down the now familiar dark, dripping corridors of the Kyuubi's lair only to find the said demon. Being at a preschool age when Naruto found the fox he had been scared out of his mind. He cried out of fear for who knows how long until the Kyuubi had told him to shut the hell up. The demon had told the boy the whole story and why the villagers were so bitter towards him and ended up laughing at him. At that time, something in Naruto broke. He stopped crying and started yelling at the demon calling him a fur ball and cursing the village. He had also made a point that he was the container, not the fur ball himself. The Kyuubi at first had been astonished by this human's behavior towards him. He looked the boy in the eyes who glared defiantly back. The demon laughed and decided to humor the boy…or rather, assist him, per say. When the demon container woke up all his wounds were healed and he began his training. Thus, a sick, sadistic friendship had bloomed.

The Kyuubi told Naruto to train hard to become a ninja, not of Konoha, but of his own man. Naruto had late nights training for hours and hours and, again, more hours. He blew chucks everywhere whenever the Kyuubi pushed him to hard, which was all the time. The private training ground he used smelled like his guts and intestines by the time he finished training. Naruto's long years of training paid off for he could now probably threaten a Jounin. But the blond still had a long ways to go. His bed seemed like heaven in its truest form when he came home. He cherished the two and a half hours of sleep everyday (Bar the long naps he took during class at the ninja academy). However, he couldn't sleep tonight which is what brought him here. Naruto sat up.

"Nice talking to ya fur ball, but I need to get some shut eye. I already wasted forty-five minutes here." Naruto yawned.

"**Good night then Kit." **The fox replied.

Naruto's eyes rolled back into his skull making his pupils disappear from view. He closed his eyes and reopened them. He found himself back in his crappy apartment. He lied back down on his mattress and stared up at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow's a day off." The blond muttered to himself. "Fur ball is gonna work me until every bone in my body is broken…or shattered." His eyelids drooped until they shut.

**BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!**

You've got to be freaking kidding me. Naruto growled.

"**You know what time it is Kit?" **The demon fox cackled from within his body.

"I hate you."

Naruto put on a white sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of black pants. He slipped on some socks and shoes, ate some breakfast, put on the weights the Kyuubi made him get, and hell began.

X.X.X

Naruto upchucked for the eleventh time that afternoon. He had been training for four hours and he hadn't even started on his ninjutsus or genjutsus. He just ran twenty laps around the whole freaking village after his warm-ups, which consisted of doing over two hundred push-ups and sit-ups and using a two-ton boulder as a punching bag. Naruto wiped his bloody fists on his jumper and spat out whatever was left of the vomit in his mouth. Since he had just wasted his breakfast by throwing it up he figured it was a pretty good time for lunch. Naruto stalked off to the village.

"Yo, Ayame! I'll have the usual." The blond boy called as he sat down on one of the stools of the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

Naruto liked ramen. Loved it. Couldn't go a day without it. If you ask anyone who knows about his obsession with ramen they would probably say his body is sixty percent ramen, thirty percent water, and ten percent whatever else makes up the human body. The blond always came here for his three food rituals of the day so he was on familiar terms with the two workers of the small stand. Naruto was their number one customer and made them rich.

"Hard day at the academy Naruto?" The owner of the shop asked looking over the boy's sweating body. Naruto called him old man.

"No. I don't have academy today." Naruto replied bluntly.

"Right right. Here you go." The old man placed a very large bowl of ramen in front of Naruto.

"Would you like a beverage?" Ayame asked smiling.

"No thanks." Naruto responded before grabbing some chopsticks and attacking his meal.

Another customer entered the stand and sat down beside the oblivious boy.

"One medium sized bowl of pork ramen with an egg please." A female voice screeched. Naruto closed his eyes and blocked out the banshee's screams.

"Coming right up!" The old man called.

The woman sat patiently waiting for her ramen. Her eyebrow twitched as the neighboring blond haired customer's slurping and chopping grated on her nerves.

"…Hey."

The slurping continued.

"Hey."

More slurping.

"Hey!"

Louder slurping.

The woman grabbed Naruto's chopsticks and threw them out of the stand. Naruto glared at her a she glared defiantly back.

"You took my chopsticks." Naruto stated simply.

"How else was I supposed to get rid of your awful slurping noises!" She yelled purple hair swishing as she turned towards him.

"Asking me to eat quieter may have helped!" Naruto shouted back.

"Like you would have heard me!" The woman screamed.

"I need chopsticks!" Naruto yelled.

"Get some more!" The woman yelled back.

"Your ramen is ready miss." Ayame interrupted.

Naruto glared at the screeching woman and chucked his ramen bowl at her. Unfinished ramen and soup splashed her silencing her for the moment. The woman gaped at the boy's smirking face. Naruto put some money on the table and shook his head.

"What a waste of ramen." He muttered before walking away. He counted to three mentally and heard screams and shouts behind him. He smiled and walked back to the training grounds.

"Maybe I should have stayed there." He mused as he thought of his next training exercises.

X.X.X

Naruto sighed and wiped away some sweat from his brow. He lied down on the grass and looked up at the sky. He watched some clouds roll by. He had finished about thirty minutes ago with time to spare. It was about four thirty so he thought It'd be nice to go to his hill and relax.

When Naruto was a little kid he always came here to relax. None of the villagers ever went to this part of the forest so he was safe here. The hill was in the center of a patch of trees with a single tree in the center. The tree was bent.

Naruto liked to think the tree was a lot like him, alone and unwanted…different. The other trees stood far away from the crooked tree because it was not like them. A fish out of water. Disfigured. A lone wolf. Much like Naruto himself. He closed his eyes and let the breezy air cool him off.

"Hmm? Who're you?"

Naruto sat up and turned his head to a boy with a careless expression on his face. He had brown hair tied up in a spiky ponytail and was wearing a jacket. Naruto looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Does it matter?"

"Not particularly."

The boy lied down a few feet from Naruto and closed his eyes. Naruto looked at him oddly.

"Why are you here?"

"Does it matter?"

Naruto smirked. "Touché."

The two laid there in silence listening to nature's many sounds occasionally whistling to its soft melody of wind and leaves. They laid there for who knows how long. The sun started to set, neither moved. The sun disappeared over the horizon, neither moved. Both were enveloped in darkness, they both got up. They looked at each other.

"Bye." The two boys said in unison.

Naruto walked through the trees aimlessly. Who was that boy? Did he know who he was? Most adults did and their hateful behavior, bar the old man and Ayame, usually rubbed off on children, which is why he had no friends at the academy. Come to think of it…that purple haired chick wasn't hostile towards him at all…sort of.

"I don't feel like walking." Naruto mumbled. He made a few hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

X.X.X.

Naruto awoke the next morning falling out of bed. He climbed back into bed and looked at the clock. The alarm flashed ten thirty four. Naruto sighed and turned over. So what if he was a little late? It's not like he was ever on time anyway.

After thirty more minutes of sleeping the demon container got up, got dressed, brushed his hair, (not that it helped) and had some instant ramen for breakfast. He left his apartment and headed for the ninja academy.

X.X.X

The teacher at the academy, Iruka, glared down at the casual blond. He was two and a half hours late.

"Why are you late again Naruto?" Iruka asked dangerously.

"Ran out of instant ramen." Naruto answered. "Had to go buy some more. Took me awhile to get it all to my house. Had to go here and there three times."

Iruka's eye twitched. "SIT DOWN!" He yelled.

"Heh heh. Nice job loser." A boy snickered.

"You're pathetic." Another one laughed.

"You want to be a shinobi? Yeah right!" He heard a third one say.

Naruto sat down in his designated spot. He closed his eyes blocking out the oncoming lecture from his sensei and the idiotic insults his classmates were throwing his way. Besides, the Kyuubi had taught him most things Iruka already taught.

"You again?"

Naruto turned and was shocked to see the boy from yesterday sitting beside him.

"Hi." The boy said lazily. "Who are you?"

Naruto smirked. "Does it matter?"

"How troublesome." The boy sighed.

Both boys dropped their heads and fell asleep only to be woken up by Iruka's yelling voice.

"Boys! Class is for learning, not sleeping!" Iruka yelled at them.

"Actually sensei, there is no rule that says you can't sleep in class." Naruto pointed out. Beside him the brown haired boy smiled.

Iruka frowned at them. "Alright wise guy, you clean the floors after class, you too." Iruka pointed at the brown haired boy.

"Yay." He said lazily.

"Both of you should pay better attention in class." Iruka added. "You won't become shinobi if you sleep all the time." Naruto rolled his eyes, if only he knew.

After class the two kids' pencils were replaced with brushes. It took them a few hours to clean the whole place. The duo had barely spoke throughout their extra time in the classroom.

After finishing, both boys headed to the hill. They lied there like they did previously, saying nothing. They stayed like that until it got dark. The boy turned towards Naruto as they got up.

"Who are you?" He asked for the third time.

Naruto smirked and started walking away.

"Shikamaru."

Naruto stopped.

"Shikamaru Nara is my name." He said as he walked the opposite way the blond was going.

Naruto continued walking. "Naruto." He called over his shoulder. Shikamaru stopped and turned towards him.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Shikamaru studied him for a bit until he returned to his half-lidded lazy look. "How troublesome." He said before walking away.

Naruto smiled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. That's where it started.

A/N: Well, there. Not that good I know. Screwed it up on the "hell began". That sounded retarded.

Please review and tell me if you liked or disliked the story. Any advice or helpful tips would also be appreciated. THE ROMANCE WILL COME LATER. Just thought you should know that.

Anywho, Please review. (Or I'll slit your throat in your sleep)

Kiiam


	2. What I do

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Thanks to the few of you that took the time to read my story and review. I didn't think it would be very good considering this is my first story on I wish more people would read this though. I don't think the beginning of this chapter is very good. I think I worded it very badly. Oh well, no one's perfect. The chapter is better as it goes on. Please read and review. If you don't like it, tough shit, go read something else. By the way, Hinata has a mother is in this. Enjoy.

**PLEASE READ FOLLOWING**: I may up the rating to M-rated for future scenes and language to come. I may or may not. I'll let you know if I do.

**Chapter 2**

Naruto slumped in his chair. Beside him Shikamaru groaned. Another test. Oh, how both boys loathed tests. It was always the same freaking thing all the time. The so called 'tests' were just reviewing what charka was, how to use it, and what the three battle techniques were in a fight, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu. The two settled for sleeping instead.

For a few weeks now the two boys had been friends. The Nara would occasionally come to the blond's house and asked if he wanted to do anything. Naruto had introduced his friend to his mad training sessions that the brown haired boy chose not to participate in. After seeing Naruto actually doing the exercises the Nara had said no sane person would ever do anything like this. The demon container had just smirked and said, "I guess I'm just crazy." Shikamaru had called it troublesome and took a nap while Naruto threw his guts up. They would go out to get a bite, at the Ichiraku ramen stand of course, and head to the hill where they rested until it got dark.

As soon as they had fallen asleep Iruka threw chalk at both of them waking them up. Guess they would have to take the damn test.

"Remember class!" Iruka called. "We are having a special guest Jonin coming to the academy tomorrow to teach us about the real shinobi world. Think of it as a little sneak peak into the life of a ninja."

"How troublesome." Shikamaru muttered.

"Everything's troublesome to you ain't it, Nara?" Naruto smirked.

"You know me, hate putting effort into crap like that."

"How can listening to an elite ninja require any effort at all?"

"You have to care about what they're talking about."

"True."

In Naruto's opinion Shikamaru didn't need to learn anything from anybody. His intelligence was off the chart. He was a genius. He could formulate strategies that could baffle an Anbu within seconds…well, when he wanted to. Aside from being the smartest Shikamaru was also the laziest. Whenever he was presented with a task he would call it troublesome or a pain and end up procrastinating or just not doing it. Much like the situation at hand.

"Class dismissed." Iruka called as a bell rang. Students got up from they're seats and left the premises. Naruto and Shikamaru decided to hit the Ichiraku ramen stand before they went to the hill. Naruto hopped on one of the stools while Shikamaru sat on his left side.

"The usual, old man!" Naruto called.

"Okay!" The old man called back.

"What will you have sir?" Ayame asked Shikamaru.

"An apple." Shikamaru replied.

"Alright." Ayame said cheerily before hurrying off.

"You on a diet of something?" Naruto asked his companion.

"No." The lazy boy said. "I, unlike you, want to at least reach average height when I grow up." Naruto looked at him quizzically. He sighed. "This is the height you'll stay at if you keep eating ramen like you do now."

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, size doesn't matter."

"That's just what girlfriends say to their boyfriends who have really small-"

"I get it."

"Order up!" Ayame called as she placed a large bowl of ramen in front of Naruto and an apple with a napkin to Shikamaru. The duo ate their meal in silence.

"One large pork, beef ramen with onions please!" A female voice called.

Naruto turned and dropped his chopsticks. The purple haired chick from a week ago had walked in and sat next to him. She looked at him. The two stared at each other for a while. Naruto prayed she had forgotten about the incident they had during their last encounter.

The woman smiled sweetly. "Sup." She said.

Naruto arched his eyebrow at the woman and turned back to his meal. He decided not to question the matter. He was grateful he wouldn't have to suffer for his actions.

-SPLASH!-

The blond blinked twice not moving. The woman was smiling evilly her bowl over the boy's head. Shikamaru quietly continued eating his apple knowing it was best to stay out of the situation.

"That's for last time, brat!" The woman snapped. She stood triumphantly over Naruto letting her revenge sink in. Naruto eye twitched and chucked his own bowl at the woman soaking her with the unfinished soup. She let out an unearthly screech. Shikamaru winced at the antics of the two.

"Brat!" The woman yelled throwing chopsticks at the boy. The blond jumped out of the way letting Shikamaru take the bombardment of the table utensils.

"Hey!" Shikamaru yelled as a chopstick hit his eye. He threw the core of his apple at the assaulting woman. It hit her square in the face. The woman glared at the blond's comrade.

"Another brat?" She out stretched her hand at the two. Snakes came out of the sleeves in her jacket…poisonous snakes.

"Crap." Shikamaru muttered.

"Let's get the hell outta here." Naruto said. He and Shikamaru ran to the hill.

X.X.X

Naruto and Shikamaru lied panting against the crook tree. The boys had disposed of the dead snakes both saying the snakes shouldn't defile their special place. They had made to the hill with the snakes trailing after them. Naruto had distracted them while Shikamaru possessed each one with his shadow possession jutsu. The boy came from the Nara clan. They could use shadows as a deadly weapon. Shikamaru held the snakes with his family jutsu then Naruto killed them with thrown kunai and shuriken. It was still early so the boys decided to go for a walk and come back later.

The two were walking down the streets of Konoha each thinking individual thoughts. Shikamaru thought what being a cloud would be like while Naruto's thoughts were focused on a way to get back at that snake-summoning bitch. He swore he'd get her back for this.

"So, Shika, that family bloodline limit of yours. It's pretty useful." Naruto commented. "I would have hated for one of those snakes to bite me."

"It's troublesome." The shadow manipulator scoffed. "It uses a quite a bit of chakra. Also it can be easily avoided. You need to plan ahead for it to work. It's more trouble than it's worth."

"Stop with the troublesome crap." Naruto chuckled. "You're just lazy. You could just say that."

"Fine. I'm lazy."

"That's nice."

"What about you?" The Nara asked changing the subject.

"What about me?"

"Your training. No human would subject himself to that kind of torture." Shikamaru stated. "And how do you have so much charka? I've seen you do jutsus over and over again non-stop. How?"

Naruto looked at his lazy friend. What could he say? I have a demon in my body that feeds me his charka giving me inhuman strength and power that could kill a jounin in minutes? No. He would never tell Shikamaru that. The boy was Naruto's only companion he ever had in his entire life. There was no way he would jeopardize that friendship by telling him he was a demon container, let alone tell him the demon his body housed was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the demon who had almost caused the complete destruction of Konoha village. The two were best friends and that's how Naruto intended to keep it.

"I've had years of training Nara. I would think someone's endurance would build in that time." He lied.

Shikamaru half-shrugged. He didn't seem completely convinced.

The two came across a huge mansion. The two looked at it in awe.

"Can I help you boys with something?" A woman outside the mansion asked. She was dressed in a white robe with long dark hair. Her eyes were completely white.

"No, we were just passing by." Shikamaru replied.

"What's this place?" Naruto questioned. "I've never seen anyone live in this place before."

The woman smiled. "Oh yes, this is the Hyuuga clan family house. We just made a transfer from the hidden village of moon. We moved here a little while ago."

"Hyuuga." Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "Isn't that the family name of the users of the bloodline limit, Byakugan?"

"Yes, that's correct." The woman replied.

"Well, welcome to the village of Konoha." Naruto greeted. "I'm Naruto and lazy here is my pal Shikamaru." The Nara grunted.

The woman smiled at them. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Hikari. Would you boys like to come in?"

Naruto looked at her oddly. "You just gonna let to complete strangers walk into your house?" He asked. "You never know what we might do."

"We'll see then won't we?" Hikari smiled beckoning them in. The boys shrugged and walked in.

The mansion looked even bigger on the inside. There were many corridors to take each long and wide with many doors aligning them. The place was unnaturally quiet despite it's size. The boys had expected there to be more people considering the size of the mansion. I mean, it was supposed to house an entire clan right? There was an area in front of the front door that was a wide garden with a small pond at the edge. There was a area in the garden that had no flowers in it. It was probably cleared so people could train without crushing the flowers.

"Don't worry, I'm not the only one living here." Hikari explained. "My husband and the rest of the men are in a meeting with the elders. The women are doing chores in the back."

"Lady Hikari, who are these boys?"

Naruto and Shikamaru turned around to come face to face with a boy that had long black hair that reached the center of his back. He wore the Konoha headband and his hands were wrapped in sparring tape. He had the same eyes as Hikari.

"Hello Neji." Hikari smiled. "This is Naruto and Shikamaru. Do you know them by any chance?"

"No." Neji frowned.

"Neji Hyuuga…weren't you voted Konoha number 1 rookie last year? Also called the 'Hyuuga Genius'?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yes I was." Neji answered curtly. "I already lived here with some other clan members. The rest of the clan just recently moved here."

Naruto stared at Neji, well, his eyes actually. Neji caught his gaze and glared back.

"Do you want something?" Neji asked the staring blond.

"What up with your eyes?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Hikari giggled and Neji looked at Naruto like he was stupid. Shikamaru just shook his head.

"Are you that stupid?" Neji asked. "Have you never heard of the Hyuuga clan?"

"Not particularly." Naruto yawned. "I don't care about crap like that."

Neji glared at him. "The Hyuuga clan is one of the most respected clans in Konoha." The young boy explained. "We are the users of the bloodline limit Byakugan that allows us to see things others can't. This bloodline is envied by many and we have to make… precautions to keep its secrets hidden."

"Sorry about my friend." Shikamaru said. "He's an idiot."

"And you're a jackass." Naruto chuckled.

"You are a strange one, Naruto." Neji commented overlooking the boy. Naruto arched an eyebrow as he noticed the veins around Neji's eyes were popping out.

"_His bloodline limit?" _Naruto thought.

"Neji?" A small, gentle voice called.

A girl walked down the corridor and stopped when she saw the guests. She had short black hair with a bluish hue to it. She wore a baggy, white leather jacket and she too had the white eyes of the byakugan.

"Hello Lady Hinata." Neji said bowing.

"Neji, I told you to stop doing that." Hinata giggled.

"Sorry." Neji smiled.

"Friend of yours?" Shikamaru asked.

"This is Lady Hinata." Neji said. "My cousin and Lord Hiashi's and Lady Hikari's daughter."

"Nice to meet you." Hinata said bowing in front of the Nara.

"Shikamaru." The shadow manipulator said. "This is Naruto. Naruto?" The mischievous blond had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Neji said sharply looking around.

"Don't look so worried Neji." Hikari laughed. "I think he's saying hi to the fish."

Sure enough, there was the lazy blond boy squatting over the pond gazing down at the fish with a dazed expression on his face. Hinata looked at the boy astonished. She suddenly found herself feeling very hot. Her face burned when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes. They reminded her of the ocean. His spiky blond hair swayed a little as a breeze picked up. She noticed his whisker markings on his cheeks and she wondered what it would be like to touch them. She gasped as he looked their way. He smiled at her and hopped over.

"Yo, I'm Naruto." He said holding out his hand. "Nice fish." He said turning his head to Hikari.

"I-I-I'm H-Hinata." The young Hyuuga girl stuttered. "P-Pleased to m-meet y-you." Naruto arched an eyebrow wondering about the girl's strange behavior. Neji looked shocked at his cousin's behavior. Hikari and Shikamaru smiled knowingly.

"What's with the whole "Lady Hinata" thing?" Naruto asked turning to Neji.

"She is part of the main branch, thus, she is my superior." Neji stated.

"I'm not your superior Neji." Hinata said quietly twiddling with her fingers.

"Wait, does that mean even the adults bow to her?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. Everyone in the main branch or in the Hyuuga Council of Elders is our superior." Neji replied.

"That's bullshit." Naruto said. "Branches in a clan are unnecessary and some uptight, pompous jerks get the idea in their head that they can do anything they want. They force people to do so many unnecessary things for one group. It's troublesome." Naruto finished winking at Shikamaru. The Nara sighed.

"How dare you mock our clan's tradition!" Neji yelled advancing towards the boy.

"Stop Neji." Hikari sighed.

"Lady Hikari?" Neji asked turning to her.

"I'm glad someone finally came out and finally said that because I would hardly call the elders ways tradition." She continued. "Naruto's right. The elders are so caught up in their own ideas that they've been trying to take Hanabi away from me."

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"My unborn daughter." Hikari said pointing to her stomach. "They want to use her to make the make the main branch bigger and to better control the lower branch. My husband is trying to liberate the seal that binds the lower branch to the main branch."

"Seal?" Naruto asked curiously.

"This." Neji undid his Konoha headband letting it fall to the ground. In its place was a green colored X in the middle of his forehead. "This seal that is placed on the members of the lower branch binds us to the main branch." Neji explained. "We are destined to serve under them until we die. We exist to serve the main branch according to the elders." He tied his headband back on his head.

"Well, Hikari is in the main branch so can't she just change the rules or something?" Naruto asked.

"I could, but the elders won't allow it." Hikari sighed. "They feel that by making seals or pacts keeps the clan safe. I swear, sometimes I just want to slap them silly and give them a piece of my mind! It's unfair to the rest of the clan!"

"I admire Lord Hiashi and his effort to give the lower branch their freedom." Neji smiled. "If the seal is removed everyone will be an equal. The elders will no longer have any control over us."

"A-all the formalities and such make m-me uncomfortable." Hinata said staring at Naruto. I to l-look forward to the day my father brings f-freedom to the lower branch."

"Well good luck with that." Naruto smiled. "Sorry, but I gotta leave. Old man hokage wants to see me this afternoon."

"Don't let us keep you then." Hikari said bowing to him. Come by and visit again Naruto.

"B-Bye N-Naruto-kun." Hinata stuttered her face turning red.

"You sick or something?" Naruto asked putting his hand on her forehead. Hinata turned a surprising shade of purple and looked like she might faint.

"I-I-I'm f-fine." She stuttered cursing herself for doing so.

Naruto shrugged. "See ya later, genius." He said saluting Neji.

"Hn." Neji grunted. The veins around his eyes were still popped out.

"Let's go Nara." Naruto called exiting the manor. Shikamaru muttered a goodbye and followed the blond.

"That boy is dangerous!" Neji said after Naruto and Shikamaru had left.

"No he isn't Neji." Hikari said sternly. "He's just like you and me."

"But Lady Hikari, his chakra levels." His eyes narrowed. "No human has that much chakra. Surely you sensed it too! He's the boy with the-"

"Neji enough!" Hikari demanded silencing the boy. "I know who he is. But he is a kind boy. He's been through so much pain. You can see it in his eyes."

"I-I also think h-he's nice." Hinata agreed.

"Hinata," Neji asked turning towards her. "I'm going to have to ask you to stay away from him. He's…not human."

"Neji! How can you-"

"I said stay away!" He shouted at her grabbing her shoulders. She nodded slightly. "Good." He released her. "Now, I beg your leave." The Hyuuga boy bowed and left. Hinata started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hikari asked her daughter.

I'm going out. Hinata replied blushing as she shut the door.

Hikari shook her head and sighed. "My little girl is growing up." She smiled.

X.X.X

Naruto and Shikamaru stalked through the nearly deserted streets. It was getting late so most people were turning in bar the late night stands and shops.

"That Neji guy was staring at you." Shikamaru suddenly stated. Naruto's eyebrow's furrowed together.

'I know." He replied. "I wonder why."

"His Byakugan was activated too." The shadow manipulator added. "He seemed to be very alarmed judging by the look in his eyes."

"Hn." Naruto grunted. "_Did he know?"_ The demon container thought.

"So, how long do you think your talk with the hokage will last?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him.

"_Not going to ask any questions then, huh?_ Not that long hopefully." Naruto answered. "Why?"

Shikamaru started walking in the opposite direction. "Meet me at the hill after your done talking."

"Sure."

X.X.X

Naruto walked down the hallway leading to the hokage's office. He wondered what the old man wanted to talk about.

"Probably the same old thing." Naruto thought out loud.

Naruto was on familiar terms with the hokage. In a way, the old man was like a grandfather to him. The old man knew about the boy's affliction. He was there for Naruto after the villagers had beaten him up for the first time. The kind old man had tended to the crying boy's wounds and said if he ever needed someone to talk to he was all ears. Naruto had came in everyday since then to talk with the hokage and tell him how is day was. But, Naruto being a teenager now, he did not visit the old man as often as he used to. Being a teen, Naruto had told the man he did not need a babysitter or someone to watch over him as he could fend for himself. The hokage had just laughed and said it was natural for Naruto to think that way as he was indeed growing up and did not need someone to look after him all the time as it may embarrass him or make him feel like he was still a child. He still insisted, however, that Naruto still visit him so they could talk.

He knocked on the large door of the hokage's office. "Come in", was the gruff reply.

Naruto walked in as the hokage looked up from his paper work.

"Naruto!" He said happily setting his things down. "Come in. Come in."

The blond took a seat in front of the hokage's desk and propped his feet up on it. "So what did you call me in for old man?"

"To talk."

"About what?"

"Just about how you have been doing." The old man smiled. "I haven't seen you for a few weeks now. Have their been any problems? Have the villagers been harassing you again?"

"Please, old man." Naruto smirked. "They wouldn't mess with me after the last group that came after me."

"Oh yes, of course." The hokage frowned sightly.

About a month and a half ago a group of men with bats and frying pans had appeared at Naruto's doorstep. Earlier that day Naruto had been very pissed off as he had run out of instant ramen and the Kyuubi had increased the numbers of laps he did around the village that morning and lost anything he had in his stomach from last week because of it. He had stolen from a shop who refused to sell him ramen because of the detest the owner had for him. Naruto had left money by the counter though. The avengers story of what he did was highly over exaggerated as they said Naruto had trash the whole store when he had only walked in and took at least eleven packets of ramen. When they attacked Naruto had fought back. He kicked one man in the stomach breaking at least four ribs and causing internal bruising. Another had been hit in the head by his own bat that Naruto took from him and one got his nose broken when the angry blond had punched him full force in the face. The rest had picked up their wounded comrades and fled sending looks of fear back at the demon container. Naruto chuckled at the memory.

"You shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortune, Naruto." The hokage scolded. "Their wounded men were upset as were their families. You broke one man's legs."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about him." Naruto chuckled remembering the man. "Kami, he was a bitch! Kept on threatening to break my own legs. It was a good idea though. I used it myself."

The hokage shook his head. "Naruto, the people of village will hate you more and more if you keep on doing things like that."

"Eh, they can all lick the back of my balls." Naruto smirked. "They don't give a shit about me and I don't give a shit about them."

"You don't mean that do you?"

Naruto suddenly found himself unable to look the man in the eyes. He turned his head to the side. "Maybe." He mumbled.

The hokage sighed. "Come. Let's take a walk through the garden."

The boy and old man walked through the main garden admiring the many arrangement of roses, lilies, and many other flowers all aligned perfectly in a beautiful order. Naruto leant down and sniffed one blood red rose.

"I see you've made a new friend Naruto." The hokage commented. Naruto looked at him quizzically. "Young Shikamaru Nara."

"Damn it old man! What have I told you about your ANBU guys spying on me?" Naruto shouted at the man for not respecting his personal space.

The old man just chuckled. "You can't blame me. We don't talk as much as we used to and I want to make sure you don't get into mischief."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved him off. "And yes, I am friends with the lazy bastard."

"You seem to be treasuring that friendship." The hokage said softly.

Naruto sighed. "What if he finds out?"

"About the Kyuubi?"

"Yeah."

The hokage also knew about Naruto's relationship with the demon fox. Naruto had told the old man about it after a few months of the sadistic fur ball's murderous training. At first the old hokage had been alarmed asking questions like if the demon was controlling Naruto in a way or breaking away from the seal Naruto had been given when he was a child. The boy had calmly explained that the fox was nice to him in his own sadistic way. The fox helped Naruto become a better ninja and train for future battles that were sure to come. He had told the distressed man not to worry.

"How has training been lately?" The hokage asked. "Is he giving you a hard time?"

"When isn't he giving me a hard time?" Naruto grumbled. He could have sworn he heard the Kyuubi chuckle from within at that remark. "If you call doing thirty laps around the village, using boulders and mountains as punching bags, and practicing who knows how many jutsus then yeah things are real easy for me." Naruto said sarcastically.

"I think you're over exaggerating."

"Trust me I'm not." Naruto turned towards him. "What if Shikamaru finds out the fur ball's there?" He said. "Despite what I say, I don't want him to stop being my friend because I'm housing a demon."

"Shikamaru would still be your friend even if he knew you are the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." The hokage assured.

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked. "I sure wouldn't want to be my friend if I knew I was a monster."

"Don't talk about yourself like that, Naruto." The hokage said sternly. "You are Naruto Uzumaki, not the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I may not know much about Shikamaru, but what I do know is that he is a faithful friend and always looks out for them. I'm sure he treasures your friendship as much as you do."

"Even if you're wrong, thanks for saying that old man." Naruto smiled. The hokage returned it.

"Oh, Naruto. I have a present for you." The hokage smiled.

"Is it more weights for training?" Naruto groaned.

"No." The old man pulled out a dull yellow book with a blue fireball on the cover. "I thought you might like it. Read it sometime."

Naruto took the book from the man's hands. The book looked old and worn and the title was messed up preventing Naruto from reading the title. He could distinctly see the author's name.

"Namikaze Minato." Naruto murmured. "Thanks." He looked towards a clock on the wall and paled.

"SHIT! I stayed here for that long?" Naruto yelled looking at the clock that pointed at eight o'clock. He had been here for three straight hours. "Sorry old man, I gotta go!" Naruto made a few hand signs and disappeared in puff of smoke.

"_Man, Shikamaru's gonna be pissed! Well, maybe he fell asleep…yeah, definitely fell asleep."_

X.X.X

Naruto appeared beside the hill. He looked up at the sky which was now pitch black. He saw Shikamaru napping at the foot of the crook tree. Naruto walked up the hill until he was in front of the sleeping Nara.

"Hey, wake up." Naruto muttered nudging the sleeping boy with his foot. Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open.

"You're late." Shikamaru yawned.

"The visit took longer than I thought." Naruto replied. "Did you bring my ramen and water?" Shikamaru motioned next to him where a steamy bowl of ramen and a bottle of water laid.

"I went to get them a little while ago," Shikamaru offered. So the ramen should still be hot."

"Thanks." Naruto said as he devoured his meal. A minute after he finished his ramen Naruto's exercises began. He started with his laps around the village then moved on to his jutsus. After two hours of rigorous training Naruto was finished with his crazy routine and was ready to call it a night. He woke up Shikamaru who had fallen asleep again.

"Let's go. I'm done with my training." Naruto told the lazy boy.

"How troublesome."

Naruto smiled slightly at his friend's behavior. Shikamaru suddenly turned his head sharply in the other direction.

"What is it?" Naruto asked his alarmed companion.

"Someone's here." Shikamaru whispered.

Naruto turned his head to where he was looking. Shika was right. He too felt a chakra signal from behind the tree both boys were staring at.

"Come on out. We know you're there." Shikamaru called out. No movement.

"Come out before me and my friend here start throwing sharp things." Naruto called.

A person walked out from behind the tree. The girl's greeting gave her identity away immediately.

"H-Hello." Hinata stammered bowing to the duo.

"Hinata?" Naruto and Shikamaru asked. They both stared at her as she apologized repeatedly. What the hell was she doing here?

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked.

"And more importantly, how did you know where this place was?" Naruto added.

"I-I'm sorry." The Hyuuga heiress said softly turning a deep color of red. "I-I found y-you using m-my b-byakugan. I-I've only been here for a w-while b-but I saw what y-you w-were d-d-doing." Naruto arched an eyebrow at the girl. "N-Naruto-kun, are y-you o-okay?"

"Oh. You saw my training?" Naruto asked. The girl nodded. "It's something I've been doing for a number of years now."

"B-But, I-Isn't it h-hard? H-How can y-you subject y-yourself t-to that kind o-of t-torture?" She blushed under his stare.

"That's exactly what I said when he showed me this.' Shikamaru said.

"It's just what I do Hin." Naruto sighed. "I started this a long time ago when I was a little kid and have done this training session everyday of my life since I started. I wasn't born with a lot of talent. In fact, I was cursed." Naruto muttered that part to himself. "So I had to work to make something of myself. I work to become a ninja that people respect and not look down on. I don't plan on anything being given to me, so I'm going to work for what I want even if my arms and legs fall off. Nara here thinks I'm crazy for doing this," The mentioned grunted. "But it will pay off eventually and I'll be one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha village."

Hinata stared at him after he finished, still blushing of course. The look on her face suggested she was debating on something. Trying to decide on something. She broke away from his stare and looked down at her feet.

"Um, Naruto-kun?" Hinata said quietly.

"Yeah?" Naruto looked at her expectantly.

"I, um, well i-if it's n-not, uh, t-to much, er, t-trouble I, well, c-could I…um."

"What?!" Naruto almost shouted.

Hinata suddenly snapped her head up determination in her eyes.

"Please Naruto-kun, let me train with you!"

"WHAT!?!?!" Naruto and Shikamaru shouted in unison looking at the Hyuuga girl who showed no signs of faltering or hesitation whatsoever. She was dead serious.

X.X.X

A/N: I think that was a good way to end it. Still, I think it could have been better…and longer. Oh well.

Don't worry. I will introduce characters like Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, etc. in the next chapter. I will also try to focus on Naruto's relationship with the Kyuubi as the story progresses. As for now, I'm just advancing the plot and introducing main characters. Chapters will get better and longer so please keep an interest. Also please tell your friends about my story if you like it, I could really use some reviews. Anywho, until next update! (Which I will do as soon as possible)

Kiiam

Also, a special thanks to my first three reviewers, WolfLord04, taintedlegacy, and kit onigri. Thanks for the kind words you guys.


	3. Racing, training, reading

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Hey. Sorry I haven't uploaded for almost a week now. This week has been hell with eight tests on one day and Christmas coming up. I have to buy gifts for all my relatives. Aside from that, I hope you like this chapter. I will say this: I am only using the Naruto characters in my story. I don't know when the Shinobi War started and ended, nor do I care. Naruto can communicate with the Kyuubi at will. I'm creating my own storyline here. Any twists and ideas I make are entirely my own so I don't want anyone bitching about correct time, place and shit. Don't complain about anything I make up either. This is MY story. God, I feel stressed. Sorry. Please read and review my story and tell me what you think. Any tips or grammar corrections are appreciated. I've decided to keep the rating at T-rated. A review told me to be patient and wait until the story advances more until I make any big decisions. I thank you, unclejoex3 for the tips. I'm sorry for the confusion about the rating change. I hope you will continue to read and review. Enjoy.

**Chapter 3**

Naruto lay awake in his bed letting his mind wander. He felt kind of sorry for making a lady train like that. He didn't know what to say when Hinata had asked to train with him. He just said the first thing that came to mind, yes.

"Oh, shit." Naruto gulped and grabbed the trashcan next to his bed and threw up. He was surprised he even had the strength to pick it up. That goddamn fur ball was a menace to him and his health.

Yes, as crazy as it seemed Naruto had allowed Hinata to train with him. Shikamaru had voiced his protests on the matter but the girl would have none of it. Her story and reason for doing this was quite interesting. She said she wanted to make her father proud of her by becoming strong. She said she was very weak and felt she was a disgrace to her father. Naruto couldn't say no after she told him that. Who was he to crush a woman's hopes? He had told Hinata to stop being so hard and feeling sorry for herself. That was the first step he took when he started his training.

Naruto decided to start her training then and there. They had only trained for an hour though. The young Hyuuga had wanted to train more, but Naruto said she shouldn't do too much too quickly. She would have to take things slow at first to get her body used to the training, as she probably had never done anything like it before. After a bit more training he'd pick up the pace. He had given her some of his old weights and told her to wear them at all times training or not. Shikamaru watched them at all times giving them "You guys are crazy" looks or "I can not believe what you are doing" looks. The two had just ignored him and trained their hardest, well, Hinata did. Naruto had slowed down to a beginners pace so Hinata wouldn't feel like she was getting in the way. The girl's determination surprised both boys. Even if it was her first day of training the dedication she showed was astonishing. She was much less reluctant than he was when he started his training…okay, he didn't want to start his training period, but after a two-hour argument with the bitchy fur ball Naruto gave in. He congratulated Hinata on a good first day, earning a blush from the girl, and sent her home along with Shikamaru who also had to leave. He felt great after that but when the Kyuubi said he seemed to be feeling better enough to train more the blond's joy quickly evaporated. After another three hours of training Naruto finally went home to his bed, a heaven on earth.

As Naruto thought about those dreadful extra three hours of training his thoughts shifted to the maniacal bastard of a fur ball. Okay, now he was pissed.

"Damn, fur ball." Naruto muttered bitterly. "I think he'll enjoy a visit." Naruto's pupils rolled back into his skull leaving them a blank white. He closed his eyes and reopened them to behold the Kyuubi's prison before him. Naruto's teeth clenched together as he saw the red eyes and mouth of the demon appear inside the cage.

"**Yes?"**The Kyuubi asked innocently.

"YOU BASTARD!" Naruto shouted as the creature started laughing. "Three hours! Three more goddamn hours! Don't you torture me enough already?"

"**No?"**The demon said helpfully.

Naruto sat down and settled for glaring at fox. He hated the fur ball's sick sense of humor.

"**Don't look so angry, Kit." **The Kyuubi chuckled. "**Look at it this way. Three more hours of training means you're stronger than you would have been if you had only trained for two hours."**

"I hate you."

"**I know."**

Naruto sighed defeated. Telling him that he hated the training would just make the Kyuubi laugh and encourage him to pull the stunt again. Well, he was already here, might as well start up a conversation.

"Hey fur ball," The Kyuubi growled at his nickname. "What do you think about Hinata training with me? Should I take it easy or do it like you did with me?"

"**What do you think, Kit?" **The Kyuubi sighed. "**You're the one training her, not me. If you want my advice do what I do with you, just take it a bit easier than I would with you. She is fully human, unlike you, and also female making her body more fragile and…more attractive than yours." **

"You sick twisted…don't talk about girls like that." Naruto growled. The Kyuubi just laughed. It stopped abrubtly.

"**Kit, the Hyuuga boy you met, what was his name?"**

"Neji?"

"**Yes, him. I think he knows." **Naruto's eyes widened. "**Didn't you wonder about what the shadow boy said? He probably used his Byakugan to see your chakra points and reserves."**

"_So that's what those eyes are for. It's no wonder how Hinata found me and Shikamaru then." _Naruto thought.

"**I don't think the girl knows but the boy definitely knows." **The Kyuubi's eyes nodded. "**I'm not saying you should stop training the girl because her cousin knows, but just be on your guard around him."**

"Thanks for the update." Naruto said.

"**I only said that because I don't want him attacking us when we are around him. Chakra wounds are a pain to heal up and take longer to heal than would a regular injury." **

"_Charka wounds? _I just hope he doesn't tell anyone." Naruto muttered.

"**We could always "silence" him ourselves." **The Kyuubi ventured smiling with sadistic delight.

"I wouldn't want to become a wanted criminal so early in the stage of life, fur ball." Naruto sighed.

"**I was merely making a helpful suggestion!"**The Kyuubi purred.

"Sure. Oh yeah, the old man got me a book." Naruto mentioned.

"**What's it about?"**

"I don't know, haven't read it yet." The blond replied.

"**Who wrote it?" **

"Why so curious?"

"**Answer the question."**

"Some guy named Namikaze Minato." Naruto shrugged. "I'm thinking about reading a little tonight. Might not though considering I've just been to hell and back and want some sleep." The fox made no reply.

"Er, Fur ball?"

Still silence.

"Hey! Fur ball!"

"**Hm? What?"**

"What's wrong with you?"

"**None of your damn business." **

Naruto looked at the demon curiously. The monster was always attentive and never spaced out like that. The demon container decided not to question the matter though.

"How long have I been here?" Naruto asked.

"**I don't know. Time moves differently in here." **The Kyuubi replied.

"Well, then I better get some sleep." Naruto yawned. "Good night, fur ball."

"**Remember Kit, tomorrow you get new weights. Another fifteen pounds should do it."**

"I hate you so much."

"**I know." **The Kyuubi cackled in wicked delight.

Naruto muttered a colorful string of curses before he returned to a conscious state again. It was handy that he could communicate with the demon fox at will. He found himself back on his bed in his run down apartment. Naruto looked at the book the hokage gave him. He felt too sleepy to read it.

"I'll read it tomorrow." Naruto mumbled before nodding off into a dreamless sleep.

X.X.X

Naruto was woken up by the knocking on his door. He turned his head to stare at the angry red numbers on his clock.

"Nine thirteen." Naruto mumbled. Naruto got out of bed and put on some pants and a shirt. He slipped on his shoes and answered the door.

"Hey." Shikamaru greeted. "I thought we could walk to the academy together."

"Nara, why the hell are you here so early?" Naruto asked a little pissed off that his peaceful sleep was cut short. The boys always slept till ten and were at the academy by eleven. This morning, for whatever reason, was different though.

I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know.

Naruto looked over Shikamaru's shoulder to find Hinata hiding behind him.

"What are you hiding for?" Naruto asked as Hinata stepped beside the shadow manipulator.

"I'm s-sorry." Hinata stuttered. "I t-thought we c-could all walk to t-the a-academy together."

"Seriously Hin. Stop apologizing so much. You've got nothing to be sorry about." Naruto sighed.

"R-Right, I'm-"

"Don't say it."

"W-Well if you s-still w-want to s-sleep we c-could go w-without you." Hinata offered.

"Nah. I'm already up so there's no reason to go back to sleep." Naruto shrugged. "Hold on, I need to get something then we'll leave." The blond ran back into his room and grabbed the book of the desk. _"Maybe I can read some of it today."_ Naruto thought. He locked the door to his house and departed for the academy with his friends.

X.X.X

Naruto and his friends entered the classroom earning confused glances from their classmates. The trio ignored them and made their way to their seats. Naruto could hear a few of his classmates' remarks.

"-That reject has friends?"

"-Why does Shikamaru hang out with him?"

"-Huh? Why is Hinata with him?"

"-Who would want to be friends with that failure?"

Oh, Naruto was anything but a failure. They, unlike him, did not train like he did, nor have immense chakra reserves. They also didn't have a demon fox that made everyday of their life a living hell.

"_If only they knew."_ Naruto thought shaking his head.

As the trio took their seats Naruto noticed a porky boy walk up to them. He was quickly stuffing a bag of crisps in his mouth.

"Hey Shikamaru. Haven't seen you in a while." The fatass said spewing half eaten pieces of chips at the brunette.

"Hi Chouji." Shikamaru said. "I've just been hanging out with some new friends of mine." He motioned to Naruto and Hinata.

"Oh." Chouji seemed a bit surprised that Shikamaru was with them. Any way people looked at it, the three of them, a slacker, a reject, and a clan heiress together just seemed…odd.

"Well…could I hang out with you guys too?" Chouji asked as if he wasn't welcome.

"Sure." Naruto spoke up. "Just so long as you eat facing that way." He pointed towards the front of the room motioning for Chouji to turn around.

"Thanks." Chouji said spewing crisps on the blond. "Sorry." More crisps landed on the boy. "I'll go get Kiba and Shino."

The group seemed to get along quite nicely. Hinata was locked in a conversation with Kiba giggling at something he was saying. Shikamaru was looking out the window while Chouji was talking about various food combinations and what they might taste like. Shino was lost in some book about bugs and Naruto settled with sleeping. Sasuke, the popular boy and prodigy of the class was trying his best to tune out the screeching voices of his two number one fangirls, Sakura and Ino. He had asked to sit with the group in an attempt to get away from the banshees, but his action was in vain. The group felt sympathy for the Uchiha. A few minutes later their sensei, Iruka, walked in with a smile on his face.

"Hello everyone!" He greeted cheerily. "As you all know, we are having a Jounin coming in today to tell us about what ninja do and what they should know. Since graduation tests are coming up I will advise you all to pay close attention so you know what being a ninja will be like. Now, let's go outside. Our guest is waiting and let's be on our best behavior."

As everyone exited the building Naruto was held back by Iruka.

"Naruto," His teacher said sternly. "Please be polite and don't try anything okay?"

Naruto smirked. In the past, he had commited various pranks on his classmates, the teachers, and on Konoha village itself. It was no wonder Iruka told him this.

"Can't make any promises, Sensei!" Naruto smiled. Iruka sighed.

Everyone formed three lines of ten since there were thirty kids in the class. Iruka stood in front of them.

"Okay everyone. "I know I told you this already but be on your best behavior. We must respect her, as she is an elite Jounin."

_So it's a girl, huh? _Naruto thought.

"Everyone, meet Anko Mitarashi." Iruka introduces as a woman poofed up out of nowhere.

"Hello kiddies!" Anko smiled. "How are you all doing?" She scanned the small crowd before her and when her eyes caught Naruto her jaw dropped.

Naruto's jaw must've hit ground. He knew this woman. He knew that woman oh so well. She was the one who was at the Ichiraku ramen stand those two days. He distinctly remembered the ramen and utensil war they had had in the small stand. That memory was burned into his mind and he knew she recognized him as well. Anko, however, smiled sweetly and finished observing the crowd. Naruto was scared. That smile sent him a message, and that message was "You better watch out because I'm about to get sweet sweet revenge". Shikamaru must have recognized her as well because he had a rather worried look on his face.

"Well kids." Anko started. "I bet your all curious to know what the shinobi's life is like and what we do. First of all, we have to be in top physical condition so we are strong and prepared when we go on missions. You wouldn't believe the exercises we do! I think a demonstration is in order." A sadistic smile appeared on her face.

"_I don't like where this is going."_Naruto thought as she looked at him.

"I'll need a volunteer! You!" Anko pointed at Naruto. "You seem like a fit young boy. Come on up."

"No thanks." Naruto frantically shook his head. "I'm –cough- uh, feeling a little sick so…"

"Bullshit! Ninja get sick on missions all the time!" Anko stated smiling evilly. "You got to learn to fight it!" Naruto stayed rooted to his current position.

"No."

"Looks like you need some encouragement." Anko said as she walked up to him. She leaned down so she could be face to face with him.

"Cooperate, or I'll butt rape you with a kunai." She whispered so only he could hear. The blond groaned and allowed himself to be dragged in front of the class. Kami, did he wish he was dead right now.

"Okay, this kid and me are going to have a race." Anko called to the students. "Ten laps around the academy building."

"Uh, Anko." Iruka interrupted. "Don't you think that's for…well for his age."

"You're right, Iruka." Anko nodded.

"_Thank you sensei." _Naruto thought.

"Twenty laps!"

"_Damn you sensei." _Naruto cursed mentally.

"You can't make me do this!" Naruto said indignantly.

"Thirty laps!"

"You crazy bitch!"

"Forty laps!"

Naruto groaned in defeat. This woman was a psycho. Anko smiled sweetly at him despite the glare he sent her. If looks could kill, Naruto would blown her head right off by now. Shikamaru let out a low whistle. Hinata looked worried and astonished at what this woman was making him do. Naruto looked back at the woman who drew a long line in the dirt with her heel.

"This will be the starting and finishing point, brat." Anko said. "First one to cross this at the end of forty laps wins." She finished with confidence in her voice.

"**I like this woman." **Naruto heard the Kyuubi purr. "**Though this isn't much. I'd make you do much more."**

"Kiss my ass." Naruto muttered back to the demon. It cackled in response.

Naruto smirked inwardly. His brief chat with the fur ball had reminded him he had an advantage in this race: His immense chakra reserves. He was going to win this race and make this bitch pay. He'd make it close though.

"You!" Anko called pointing to Shikamaru. "Start the race."

"How troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he stepped in between the two competitors.

"I'll go easy on you." Anko smirked. Naruto flipped her his middle finger in response. Shikamaru raised his hands.

"On your mark," Naruto and Anko took running positions. "Get set," Both racers glared at each other. "GO!" Naruto and Anko shot ahead like lightning bolts both head to head. There were some gasps from the on looking students, as they saw Naruto run that fast. Shikamaru smiled shaking his head.

"So you plan on winning this one, Uzumaki?" Shikamaru said to himself. "How troublesome." He made his way back to the group of students.

Naruto and Anko cleared their twenty-seventh laps still running at equal speeds.

"You're pretty good." Anko commented turning her head to look at him. The blond stayed silent.

"Not very talkative are you?"

"You're going to lose." Naruto said casually.

"Oh ho!" Anko laughed. "Cocky aren't we? We'll see about that!" She picked up her pace and darted ahead of him.

"She's fast." Naruto muttered also speeding up. "Guess she really is a jounin." The two were next to each other again.

After a few more minutes the two were starting their last lap. Anko had to say that she was surprised that this kid had the stamina to keep up with her. Guess there was more to the boy than meet's the eye.

"You're good, brat!" She said without looking at him. "But it's time I finish this!" She pulled ahead of him as the finish line came into view. It was only a few meters away.

Naruto increased his speed until he was just behind his opponent. The finish line was running to meet them. 3…Naruto gathered a huge amount of chakra. 2…Naruto focused the chakra to the soles of his feet. 1…Now! Naruto released the chakra from his feet like a rocket shooting him forward at breakneck speed. He got ahead of Anko just before they crossed the finish line. He won the race.

The class looked at him astonished bar Shikamaru and Hinata who smiled knowingly. There were murmur like "how did he do that" or "she must have been going easy on him. There's no way a reject like him could beat a Jounin". Naruto turned towards his shocked and defeated opponent.

"Looks like I won." He said smugly. Anko glared murderously at him but then smiled sweetly at him. Naruto paled. What was this woman thinking now?

"I'd like to congratulate this brat for beating me in a race!" Anko announced to the class. "The next lesson is that shinobi have to learn how to take a punch." Naruto's eyes widened as he figured out what she was going to do. He turned to run but Anko fist caught him first and gave a hard, painful to the side of Naruto's face. The boy flew back a few feet and landed in a rather ungraceful heap on the ground.

"Ouch!" Kiba winced.

"That probably hurt." Chouji murmured.

"He's fine." Shikamaru sighed. "That punch won't take him down."

He was right. Though the punch really, really hurt, Naruto gingerly got to his feet glaring at Anko ready to kill her.

"_That bitch is SO dead!"_

Naruto charged at the smirking woman who took a kunai out from her pouch ready for the attack. Iruka, however, had seen enough.

"Stop this at once!" Iruka commanded jumping in front of them. "I will have no more fighting!" He turned to Naruto who was trying to burn a hole in Anko's face using his glare. "Naruto, apologize."

"W-What!" Naruto yelled. "You want me to apologize to this witch? For what? She started it!"

"You know you shouldn't attack teachers like that." Iruka stated simply. "Anko, you apologize too." He added turning to her.

"Not to this brat!"

"Guys." Iruka warned. "Apologize to one another."

"Like hell I will!" Naruto said incredulously. "She's a bitch!"

"Brat!"

"Witch!"

"Baka!"

"Asshole!"

"Pussy!"

"Psycho!"

"Dickhead!"

"NOW!" Iruka yelled losing his temper. The two of them made pouting faces and mumbled their apologies to one another. Some of the students snickered. It was funny to see a teenager and a grown woman act like little five-year-olds like this.

"Good." Iruka sighed rubbing his temples. "Now get back in line, Naruto. Anko, continue the lesson."

"Fine." The two grumbled in unison. Both did as they were told. Oh, what a fine day this was turning out to be, and Naruto still had training to look forward to right after class was over…yay.

X.X.X

Naruto grumbled as he slurped up the last bit of soup from his ramen bowl. He had been mad enough already for that snake bitch making him race her, and even more so when she punched him across the face leaving a large bruise on his cheek. (Which the Kyuubi healed up but still pissed him off) But after the lesson was over Iruka had told Naruto to clean up the whole classroom as punishment for trying to provoke a fight. He had argued with his teacher for a good ten minutes but eventually gave up and agreed to the punishment. It helped that Hinata and Shikamaru stayed behind to help, or rather Hinata helped, Shikamaru just napped. Naruto's day had been in the pits.

"Old man!" Naruto yelled. "Another one!"

"You got it!" Came the ramen cooker's voice.

"N-Naruto-kun are y-you okay?" Hinata asked for the seventh time that hour. She was concerned about the wound she saw when after Anko hit him.

"It's fine!" He reassured smiling at her. He poked his cheek. "All better!"

"O-Okay." She stuttered. Her bowl of ramen was untouched.

"You gonna finish that?"

"A-Actually I-"

"Great!" Naruto took her bowl and proceeded to devouring his meal. He was cut short when Shikamaru hit him on the head.

"Baka." He scowled. "She never said yes."

"It's okay." She said softly. "I wasn't that hungry anyway."

"Naruto arched an eyebrow at her and put down his chopsticks." Look Hinata. He said. "You know right after we finish eating it's back to training right?" She nodded in response. "Well, it's best you eat so you have some energy for when we start. So eat something. Or do you not like ramen?" He asked a little astonished.

"N-No! I like it's j-just." She trailed off blushing.

"Think of it as training." Naruto said winking at her that caused her blush to deepen. He looked at her quizzically. "_Why is her face all red?"_

"What's the point of eating anyway, Naru?" Shikamaru asked smirking. "Knowing what you're training is like? You're probably just going to end up puking it all up."

"Shut it Nara." Naruto snapped a smile smile playing at his lips. Ayame came out with Naruto's twelfth bowl of ramen. "Give it to Hinata." He said.

"Okay!" The waitress chirped. Hinata looked at the bowl nervously. It was much, much bigger than the one Naruto took from her.

"Eat." Naruto said as he finished off her bowl. "Another one!" He called again. Hinata began to slowly eat her food.

"What do you think about that Anko woman?" Shikamaru asked. "What were the chances of running into her again? It must've been troublesome to have to answer to her like you did."

"I'll get her back." Naruto stated. "I'll do something much worse than what she did to me." A new bowl of ramen was placed before him. He got up taking the bowl with him. "Money's on the table!" He called to the old man. He turned towards his companions. "It's time to train." Hinata nodded while Shikamaru muttered his favorite catch phrase. They headed to the hill.

X.X.X

Naruto looked down at the panting Hyuuga girl. He decided to push her a little further this time to help determine where he should start her training. Hinata did well in the beginning but did not last long. He was impressed by how well she was taking this torture though. They had paused to let her regain some energy.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked sheepishly as she threw up a little on the ground. "You okay? We could always stop and continue tomorrow." He trailed off.

"No!" Hinata snapped her head up and got back to her feet. "I told you, don't go easy on me." Her eyes narrowed in determination. "What's the next exercise?"

Naruto looked at her shocked and then chuckled. "You really are something else, Hinata." He said smiling at her.

Hinata stared at him and blushed. "N-No…I'm n-not." The fierce girl from a moment ago was gone.

Naruto laughed whole-heartedly. "Alright then!" He shouted. "Ten more laps and we'll start on the jutsus!"

"You guys are insane." Shikamaru called from the tree. "I don't see how you two subject yourselves to this. It would be too much of a pain for me…or for anyone else for that matter."

"I told you, Shikamaru." Naruto sighed. "We each have goals that both of us want to achieve. And we have to work at it to accomplish it. Nothing is ever given to you on a silver platter. That's why people train and stuff. We work for what we want."

"What do you want?" Shikamaru asked arching an eyebrow.

"_What do I want?" _Naruto thought. That was question he asked himself many times over.

"To be hokage." Naruto smiled.

"Why?"

"So I can show everyone I can do it and that I can protect them!" Naruto looked at the lazy boy. "What do you want?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I want to retire after I marry and my kids have moved out."

"Thinking that far ahead already?" Naruto smirked. "Assuming you do get married?"

"Shut up." The brunette grunted. "It's good to plan ahead." Naruto shrugged in response.

"What about you Hinata?" The blond asked turning to her.

"I-I want to be as a strong person a-and maybe, well, o-one day, earn t-the right t-to lead my c-clan." Hinata stuttered.

"I think you'd make a good clan leader, Hinata." Naruto smiled not noticing her red face turn to an interesting shade of purple. "From what you've told me about the elders and their methods, you'd change the Hyuuga clan for the better."

"T-Thank you." The girl said looking down.

"Well, enough about that." Naruto said stretching. "Let's get back to training."

"Hey! What do we have here?"

Naruto closed his eyes and counted to three. He was going to wake up now.

"Whatcha doin?"

"Crap." Naruto muttered. He looked up and saw the purple haired banshee, Anko, staring down at the trio from a tree. She hopped down and landed in front of him.

"Our paths do cross a lot don't they?" She smiled at him.

"What the hell are you doing here, how did you find us, and go away." Naruto asked in a deadpan voice.

"Answers in order: I was around and dropped by, None of your fucking business, and no." Anko smirked. "I was just on my way to a late night bar when I decided to take a walk in the woods and what do I find? The brat who has caused me so much fucking trouble and his buddies. Great luck, huh?"

"Get the hell away from here!" Naruto yelled pointing away from their special spot.

"I don't think I will." Anko chuckled. Her face turned serious. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Training." Shikamaru bluntly answered from the hill. Naruto threw a rock at him.

"She doesn't need to know that, Nara!" Naruto shouted at him.

"Training?" Anko asked tilting her head to the side.

"So far we've done about twenty-five laps total and after ten more we start with jutsu training." Hinata piped up.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled at her. She looked down at her feet and stuttered an apology.

"Really?" Anko stayed silent for a few minutes as she looked at her surroundings. She turned back to Naruto. "That's it?"

Naruto's jaw dropped as did Shikamaru's and Hinata's. That's it? That's it? What did she mean by that?

"When I was your age I did ninety laps around the village and six hours worth of jutsu training." Anko said smugly as if gloating. "You guys are pathetic."

Naruto's eye twitched in disbelief. No way. No fucking way was she serious. She was not saying their training was nothing. It wasn't nothing. Like hell it was nothing!

"But have no fear!" Anko declared dramatically. "I, Anko Mitarashi, will train you from this day forth."

"You must be kidding." Naruto said. Hinata was to shocked to say anything. Shikamaru's jaw looked like it would fall off at any moment.

"Now, brat and mouse." She said pointing to Naruto and Hinata. "Sixty laps around the village and then we'll do jutsus."

"WHAT!?!?!?" The duo cried.

"NO COMPLAINING!!!" Anko bellowed. "HOP TO IT!"

Naruto and Hinata sprinted away, their legs already beginning to ache and burn. Shikamaru looked after them in sympathy.

"Hey Punk."

Shikamaru looked in front of him to find Anko two inches from his face.

"Why are you just sitting there?" Anko smiled sadistically. "You'll be joining them."

"W-What?"

Shikamaru hated working, hated running, hated anything he had to put effort into. Later, he would hate having tried to resist the female dictator, with poisonous snakes chasing after him.

X.X.X

Naruto adjusted his position on the couch. How very kind Anko was to let him stay at her house for the night. She said she would've felt to guilty to have left him there lying in his own sweat and blood.

For hours the snake woman had him, Hinata, and even Shikamaru train until they couldn't move. The Nara probably took it the worst as he had never done anything like what they did before. Hinata had tears falling from her eyes throughout the entire time. She did not cry though. Naruto took it better than the other two did but had lost more than his fair share of blood.

Anko had sent the other two home early so she could train Naruto personally. She had him take on a giant snake, run up a mountain, and break a boulder with his fists. The witch then sparred with her himself and he had lost badly. Not because he already felt like he was dying, no, she had forgot to tell him one small thing: She was a S-classed, fucking assassin.

By the time it was all over Naruto was covered in cuts gashes and had lost the feeling in every point of his body. Kami, committing suicide seemed like such an appealing option right now.

Since he couldn't move at all, Anko had carried him to her house and threw him on her living room couch. Naruto wanted to melt into the ground and die but that was all a fantasy. Anko had walked to her room smiling and said she'd wake him up for a early morning exercise. Yay.

Naruto groaned and glanced over at the coffee table next to him. The book that the hokage gave him was sitting on top of it.

Naruto flexed his hand. Looks like he was getting some of his energy back. He weakly reached toward the book and pulled it towards him. It felt like a ton of bricks in his current state. He set the book on his lap and sat up.

"Might as well start reading." Naruto sighed. "I can't fall asleep."

He opened the book to the first page. He scanned the first few sentences. The writing was old and hard to see. The book must be really old.

"Yo! This is a book I wrote and stuff. Almost all of the stuff in here is true and cool. I hope ya like it!"

Naruto arched an eyebrow at the words. Was the writer like a ten-year-old or something? The sentences got more serious as he read further. There were pictures to help identify what the writer was talking about. It seemed like the writer had painted them himself, and the pictures were very good and detailed bar their worn out look.

"I've met many people in these times of war…good and bad. I wish we could all just get along and avoid all this unnecessary bloodshed. This war only causes misfortune and loss for those who take part in it."

There were pictures of a shinobi war. The paintings were very detailed and the broad strokes and color made the picture seem to pop out. Naruto continued reading.

"Since I'm a new guy and all I'm not used to all this. My sensei had explained to me that war was part of human nature and was unavoidable. Humans lust for power and fail to see what's happening right in front of them. Humans will do anything to get want they want…heh…I'm starting to sound like a monster. Referring to people as humans. Humans? No. We're people. And people are people. Hell! I'm a person! Human doesn't sound right at all."

"_This is starting to sound like an autobiography."_ Naruto thought. He read more.

"It kinda scares me to see all the people of our village, Konoha, readying for battle like this. I'm only twelve and I'm already on gonna be on the damn battlefield! My clan is centered near the front lines…it makes me worry. Will they die? Nah, course not. My guys are too strong for that!"

"_Clan, huh? Must be a Hyuuga or Nara writing this." _Naruto thought.

"I graduated a while ago. I'm a genin. Cool. I don't like my teammates that much. I like my sensei though. He makes me laugh. He's teaching me how to further develop my skills. It's coming along really well. I'm getting better each and every day. I'll keep writing in this journal from here on out. I like expressing myself like this…in a book."

"So it is an autobiography." Naruto muttered. He flipped the page.

"Well, today is my first day on a mission. I'm really excited! Sensei told us it's only a low ranked mission. D-mission to be precise. We have to help carry supplies to soldiers on the battlefield. I'm glad I can aid those in need. It makes me feel I can make a difference in this war."

-after mission-

"The unit with my clan came back…only three survivors…terrible. I don't want my clan to keep doing this! Sometimes I want to just get away, run away to another land to avoid this war. But no. That's not the Unamekei clan's way. We fight to protect the one's we hold dear to us! Fight for what we believe in! Fight for what's right!"

"_Unamakei clan?" _Naruto continued.

"Heh, I've been spending way to much time with my father. I guess I should explain what the Unamekei clan is. We are a unique clan that has lots of chakra. We have much more chakra than other's allowing us to do…special techniques. Here is a list of some moves."

Naruto scanned the long list. Unamekei clan? He'd never heard of it. Sure he didn't know who the Nara or Hyuuga clan's were until Shikamaru and Hinata explained it to him. They had told him about all the Konoha clans. Why not this one? His friends hadn't said anything about any clan called the Unamekei. Maybe they didn't know about it? Shikamaru was a genius so shouldn't he have known about it? He'd ask them about it tomorrow. Naruto's attention was grabbed by the techniques listed in the book. They went on for several pages, but Naruto didn't feel like reading all of them. He only read two.

**Chakra burst**: Very basic move in the Unamekei clan. User focuses chakra to the palm of his hand and releases it making a little impact on opponent causing internal bruising and may break bones. Short range-palm must touch or be near opponent if it is to be effective. Skill level: D

**Chakra claws**: A form of weapon that focuses chakra into fingers and molds into solid, deadly pointers. Power depends on how much chakra is put into claws. Skill Level: C

"Maybe I can ask old man hokage about the Unamekei tomorrow." Naruto thought out loud. "He's sure to know something." Naruto continued to read for a little while longer. It was two fifty in the morning and he wanted some sleep.

"The Unamekei clan has helped a lot and Sarutobi-sama, our third hokage, greatly respects us. I'm also good friends with the old man and he's kept me company while my father is out…which is almost all the time. He's always on missions and stuff. Ah, well, I guess it's time to put down my pen for now. This Shinobi war isn't going to end itself!"

Naruto closed the autobiography and set it on the table. He would read more some other time. For now he needed sleep.

"So it was written in the time of the great shinobi war?" Naruto mumbled. Interesting. Naruto's eye's drooped until they shut. From inside Naruto's mind the Kyuubi chuckled.

"**Unamekei…how long has it been since I've heard that name."**

X.X.X

A/N: Yep, an unknown clan! I bet we all know where this is going. Oh well.

I know this chapter isn't that good and that the whole secret clan thing is clichéd and highly unoriginal but I've got great plans for it!

I suck at naming stuff so don't say the name Unamekei is retarded. I made that name up by myself.

Please continue to read and review. I promise I'll make things more interesting from here on out. Again, I'm sorry for changing and unchanging the rating. Please review. (or the police will never find your body) XD

Kiiam


	4. Fights and friends

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. It's just that final projects and tests are coming up for my school semester, thus, my schedule has been swabbed. I will not take as long to upload the next chapter like I did with this one. I hope you all waited patiently for me to upload this chapter and still will continue to read and review. I like reviews…I need them. I'll explain more about this chapter and what I will do for the next chapter at the end of this chapter. I hope you like this chapter and, so, yeah…sorry for the wait. Enjoy.

1/27/08: Notice-made some corrections I found while reading through this. There were only a few though. This update was for corrections only. I'll tell people when I make corrections beforehand from now on.

**Chapter 4**

Naruto smiled in contentment as he awoke. It was one of those moments when you just wake up and the first rays of sunlight sprout from a window nearby and shine on your blanket covered body adding slightly more warmth and giving you a comfortable fuzzy feeling. You feel so cozy and secure you feel as though you could lie in that spot forever.

Of course, the demon container forgot that he was still in Anko's house making him totally unaware of the said banshee rushing downstairs. Just as he was snuggling more and more into the covers Anko took the blankets underneath him and pulled them away with quite a bit of ferocity. Naruto spin off the couch as the covers turned his body as they were taken away. He banged his head on the coffee table and landed ungracefully on the floor. The blond clutched his aching head.

"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!" Anko screeched with a large grin plastered on her face. Naruto grunted angrily in response.

"I'm going to make some pancakes. Want some?" Anko asked making her way towards the kitchen.

Naruto sat up sporting a large lump on his head. He growled his answer. "Sure."

Anko began making the batter and heated up the stove while Naruto got dressed. He wanted to go back to sleep, but his need for food conquered his need to eat…for now. Naruto decided he would just sleep in class today.

Naruto slipped on some black pants and a white T-shirt and sat on the couch. He clicked on the TV.

"No TV in the mornings!" Anko called.

"Why?" Naruto called back.

"Because it's my house and I want the TV off!" The banshee responded. Naruto sighed and did as the woman wanted.

After about five more minutes breakfast was ready. Naruto sat across from Anko looking at his stack of pancakes. He was a little embarrassed because Anko was only in her underwear. It made him uncomfortable.

"Couldn't you put some clothes on?" Naruto asked. "You shouldn't be wearing…um…you know, in front of a boy. It makes me feel weird."

"It's my house." Anko retorted shoving a piece of her breakfast in her mouth. "I can wear whatever the hell I want."

Naruto sighed. This woman was crazy. No sense arguing with her. Wait…was that alcohol he smelled? The youth looked at the woman's beverage and it was a red wine. It looked like cranberry juice.

"You're drinking this early in the morning?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"What? It helps ready me for the day. It's like coffee, but it works faster." Anko smiled.

Naruto shook his head. Crazy was an excellent word for her.

"Hurry up and finish your food, brat." Anko said. "We've got morning exercises to do. Ten laps round the village then you go to the ninja academy."

"Huh?" Naruto asked warily halting in his meal.

"Time's up!" Anko announced. "Let's go!" She threw on an orange short skirt and a big, brown leather coat. She dragged the blond out the door and began they're morning jog.

X.X.X

Shikamaru sighed and looked towards the door. Where was Naruto? He usually got here by now. Maybe he was sick?

"Lucky Bastard." The shadow manipulator muttered. He hated the lecture Iruka was giving. He didn't know what it was since he wasn't really listening, but he still hated it.

"He'll be here Shika-kun." Hinata said smiling. "He's always late."

"True."

Just as he said that the blond crashed through the window shattering the glass into tiny shards and scaring most of the class. Anko followed after him landing on top of him. Iruka was infuriated.

"What is the meaning of this!?" He yelled. Anko didn't pay attention as she waved to Shikamaru and Hinata.

"Hi, guys!" She said cheerily disregarding the boy underneath her foot. Shikamaru groaned and Hinata blushed out of embarrassment when the class turned to look at them.

"Anko!" Iruka yelled angry at her noisy entry. "What's going on?"

"The brat and I were doing some early morning exercises and he tripped me while we were running." Anko stated casually. "So I had to punish him by throwing him though this window."

"You tripped on a goddamn rock." Naruto grumbled. "You drunken bitch."

"Shut up, brat!" Anko stepped on his head.

Iruka sighed. Whatever, Naruto sit down. Anko, could you leave please?

"Right, right. See you three later!" She called as Naruto sat down with his friends. Anko hopped out the broken window.

Iruka smiled at the class. "Sorry for the interruption, class. Let's continue." He turned back to the lesson. "_I've got to remember to have Naruto punished for being late…and have Anko pay for the window."_ Iruka thought.

X.X.X

Naruto entered the hokage's office. He had decided to come and ask about the Unamekei clan…and to chat with him too. The old man didn't seem to be in though. Naruto shrugged and decided to get comfortable. He sat in the hokage's chair and smiled. Hopefully, in the future, this would become his chair.

Naruto looked at the wall where the pictures of the previous hokages were hanging. He looked at the fourth's picture, Yondaime hokage.

The blond always admired the fourth and at the same time, slightly disliked him. The Yondaime had sacrificed himself to stop the Kyuubi from destroying the village and saved countless people. It was very selfless of him and must have taken a lot of balls to choose the safety and well-being of your village over spending an eternity in the belly of the Shinigami, or better known as, the god of death.

Speaking of which, Naruto had asked the old man hokage about the Yondaime's sacrifice once. He described it in a very unpleasant way. Unfortunately for the fourth, the Kyuubi was too strong to be killed. The old man had told the Yondaime that there was only one way to stop the Kyuubi, and that was to make a deal with death. The fourth hokage had used an old summoning scroll to call up the Shinigami and had made a deal in order to stop the demon fox. What the deal was the old man had no idea of, but it was something about spending eternity in the belly of death to be forever pained and tortured. Also, he had to use a human vessel in order to seal away the Kyuubi as demons cannot be destroyed.

Naruto often wondered why he had been chosen to be the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko. It is because the Yondaime had sealed the fur ball in that he had a certain dislike for the fourth. The demon made his life a living hell and was the reason the village detested him so much. He had shown his dislike for the fourth by spray-painting the hokage monument when he was ten. Naruto smiled at the memory. He had painted the other hokage's faces as well (though he had to clean it all up afterwards). Fucking priceless.

The blond had often wondered what life would have been like if the fur ball hadn't been with him. Probably would have been a hell lot easier without him. But, he may not be as strong without the Kyuubi. Maybe he wouldn't have been hated so much if he didn't have the Kyuubi. So many pros and cons to either possibility that it was hard deciding which was better or worse. Oh well, no use thinking about what never was and never will be. Naruto didn't know whether to thank the Yondaime for giving him a blessing of strength, or hate him for giving him a curse that made him a monster and hated.

Naruto hopped out of the hokage's chair when he heard footsteps outside the door. Old man Sarutobi came in with his bodyguards right behind him. Their hands were at the hilt of their swords when they saw the demon container. Sarutobi waved his hand for his guards to leave and smiled at the boy before him.

"Hello Naruto." The hokage smiled at him. "This is a surprise. I wasn't expecting you today."

"You should know by now that I'm full of surprises, old man." Naruto smirked.

"Indeed." Sarutobi chuckled. "I hope you haven't been causing to much trouble lately."

"Can't give you an answer to that." Naruto smiled. The hokage shook his head.

"So how have you been? What did you come here for?" Sarutobi asked sitting down in his chair.

"Just to chat about a few things." Naruto shrugged. "I have a question."

"What is it?"

"What's the Unamekei Clan?" Naruto asked.

"You read the book didn't you?" The man smiled.

"Yep."

Sarutobi sat up and walked towards the door. He turned towards Naruto.

"Hungry?"

X.X.X

"Another one!" Naruto called to Ayame as he stacked his finished bowl of ramen on top numerous other finished ones. The old man was the best. Instead of walking through the forest or garden the old man had taken Naruto out for ramen, his treat.

"So you want to know about the Unamekei Clan, Naruto?" Sarutobi asked finished with his bowl of noodles.

"I'm not sure if I care anymore at this point." Naruto said as another bowl was placed before him. "But what the hell, who are they?"

Sarutobi's expression turned serious. He folded his hands and turned towards him. "The Unamekei are…gone from this world." The man started. Naruto stopped in his meal.

"Gone?" Naruto inquired.

"All killed in the Kyuubi attack." Sarutobi sighed. "No one from the family exists today. It's a shame. One of them was a good friend of mine."

"Killed by the fur ball? All of them?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Sarutobi sighed. You see, the Unamekei specialized in chakra control, or not so much that, but had vast amounts of chakra stored inside their bodies. They had almost as much chakra as the Kyuubi did.

Naruto took notice of this. He knew how much chakra the fur ball had from experience, and it was a lot.

"What made them have so much chakra?" Naruto asked.

"No one knows." Sarutobi replied. "Anyway, because they had so much chakra they could do complex jutsus that no other person could do. They were able to solidify their chakra to make a weapon out of it, or use it to press chakra into an injured person to repair broken bones and chakra channels. They could even use their own chakra to press or force out their opponents chakra to weaken them. Their jutsus protected and saved many lives during the great shinobi war."

"How did they die?"

"I told you."

"I meant specifics."

The hokage sighed. "More than half died during the fighting in the shinobi war. We sent them out to the front lines to weaken and deteriorate enemy forces. It wasn't the best decision, but it was the only way to minimize casualties."

"Minimize my ass." Naruto grumbled.

Yes, we almost lost the entire clan. Sarutobi sighed. "Sadly, just when the Unamekei was starting to recover, the Kyuubi attacked. The Unamekei were ordered to try a use their techniques to diminish the Kyuubi's chakra reserves…as you can imagine, it ended in failure."

"The fur ball wouldn't let that happen." Naruto sighed. "So he killed anyone who got near him."

Sarutobi nodded. "We were fools to think that we could force the Kyuubi's chakra out of its body. It is much too powerful. Only a portion of the clan was left after the attempt. However, the Unamekei Clan died protecting the village in the end."

"What'd they do?"

"They helped hold the Kyuubi back while the Yondaime performed the jutsu that sealed the Kyuubi away inside of you. The remaining members combined their chakra together and formed a chakra net, even though it held the demon for a moment, in that moment the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi away and died in doing so." The hokage sighed. "The clan members holding the Kyuubi were infected by the Kyuubi's chakra through the net causing their cells to dissolve and split as their bodies couldn't take it ending in the Unamekei Clan's ultimate demise. It's a pity."

"How come I haven't heard about them already?"

"The Unamekei was a rather discreet clan, so not many knew about them. Because of that, people who knew eventually forgot and it was as if they never existed."

"Not to disrespect the clan, but it's pretty stupid that every last member went to help stop the fur ball." Naruto said. "Why didn't they leave a few members behind to repopulate the clan?"

"Because they all wanted to die with their leader, to die together." Sarutobi said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Oh! Look at the time!" The hokage sat up and placed the money on the table. "Sorry to leave like this but I have a meeting to get to today. Come by again some other time, alright?" The hokage rushed off back to his office.

"Okay." Naruto said stretching. "Gonna meet Shikamaru and Hinata at the Hyuuga's house. Don't want to keep them waiting." Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and started the trek towards the Hyuuga Clan house.

X.X.X

Neji jumped back as another punch was sent his way. Hinata's fist came within two centimeters from his face before it pulled back. From the sidelines, Shikamaru and Hikari watched the cousins train in silence.

"_Hm, she has gotten better. But she is not using the clan's style of fighting." _Neji thought as he blocked a kick. "Use the traditional fighting style Lady Hinata!" Neji demanded. His response was a swift and painful kick to the gut from the mentioned. Neji jumped back clutching his stomach.

"I'm never going to get better by sticking to the clan's _traditional _fighting style, and you going easy on me, Neji." Hinata pouted. "Really! You're starting to sound like the elders."

Neji smiled sheepishly. "Heh, I do?"

"Yep!" Hinata giggled.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. Hikari laughed beside him.

"Alright then, I will not hold back anymore!" Neji announced taking a fighting position. "Ready yourself, Lady Hinata, for it seems I can no longer go easy on you!"

"Good!" Hinata said also taking a fighting position.

"You know, she's more bold than she was when Naruto and I first met her." Shikamaru said. "I can't tell if it's the training, or Anko's attitude has rubbed off on her."

"I've noticed as well." Hikari smiled. "I'm glad my little girl is finally growing up."

"What up, mates?"

"Hey." Shikamaru said to his friend who plopped down beside him. "Where've you been?"

"Eh, just chatting with old man hokage." Naruto replied. "Talked about some interesting stuff."

"Like?"

"I don't feel the need to tell you."

"How troublesome."

"H-Hello Naruto-kun." Hinata said waving at him. Shikamaru sighed. She'd gotten braver, but not when talking to Naruto.

"Uzumaki." Neji greeted curtly. His Byakugan was still activated.

"Naruto! Good to see you again." Hikari greeted. She stood up and bowed to him.

"Hi Hikari." Naruto said bowing back. "How have things been?"

"Good, thank you." The Hyuuga woman smiled. "Would you like anything to drink? Neji's friends are already getting some drinks from the kitchen."

Naruto gasped. "That guy has friends?"

"Hey!" Neji glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Cool it, genius. I was only kidding." Naruto sighed. Kami, was he always this uptight?

"Neji! We have acquired the drinks you requested!"

Neji sighed. "Good Lee."

A boy appeared in front of Neji who looked like something out of a freaking circus. He wore a green jumpsuit and had a ridiculous bowl cut style hair. Naruto's biggest surprise was the kid's eyebrows. They were huge! Naruto lost control and doubled over laughing.

The boy Lee looked over at Naruto curiously. "Why is he laughing?" He asked as he put the five drinks he was holding down and completely disregarding Naruto's pointing finger.

Neji shook his head. If Lee's fashion sense wasn't so damn terrible maybe he would realize how ridiculous he actually looked.

"He's laughing at you Lee." Neji said.

Lee glared at the laughing boy. "_Why do people always laugh when they see me?"_

"Do not mock me!" The boy said dramatically striking a pose. "I will have no disrespect from you! Do not mock me, Rock Lee!"

"Rock Lee? You gave yourself a title?" Naruto laughed. "You're not a Rock Lee, you're a Bushy-Brows!"

"Do not mock me!"

Naruto got up recovering himself. Behind him, Hikari and Hinata were giggling and Shikamaru was smiling. Naruto swore he saw Neji smile. It looked like he was trying not to.

"Yep, Bushy Brows is fitting alright." Naruto said to the fuming boy. "Seriously, they look like their gonna come to life any moment."

"Do not call me names! Lee yelled as he threw a punch at Naruto. He was stopped when he was kicked square in the back from behind. He landed in a heap a few feet forward.

"Stop making so much noise Lee. You're giving me a headache!"

Neji nodded. "Thank you for that Ten Ten."

The girl Tenten flashed the Hyuuga boy a peace sign. "No problem."

The girl wore a pink Chinese style shirt and her hair was tied in two buns. She had a smile plastered on her face and bowed towards Naruto.

"Hiya! I'm Tenten." She smiled. "Hinata's told me about you. You're as rude and wise-cracking as she said you were."

Naruto turned towards the Hyuuga girl. "You said I was rude?" Hinata looked at her feet.

The blond shrugged. It was true. Why deny it?

"Eh, It's fine." Naruto said. "Just be nicer the next time you tell people about me." Naruto turned towards Neji.

"Is she and Bushy Brows your teammates or something?" Naruto asked.

"Yes" Neji grimanced as Lee pulled him into a headlock.

"We are the shining fighters of Konoha village!" Lee bellowed. "Neji, Tenten and I are the pinnacle of youth!" Neji pushed the goofy nin off of him.

"Lee, shut up." Neji growled. "Do not group me with you and your 'shining youth'."

"But my dear Neji! Gai-sensei said himself that we are! And Gai-sensei is always right!" Lee beamed.

Naruto was getting a kick out of this. This Lee guy was really entertaining. His goofy dressings and even goofier phrases made him extremely funny even though he probably wasn't trying to be. He chuckled when Tenten hit him into the wall when he started spouting more nonsense. Whoever they're sensei was must have quite an influence on the jubilant jumpsuit wearing ninja.

"Oh, Tenten." Hikari sighed looking Lee's body impression in the hole in the wall. "Now we have to get _another _wall fixed. Hiashi won't be happy."

'_Another?' _Shikamaru thought amusedly.

"Sorry." Tenten smiled sheepishly.

"That aside." Lee said. "We have go meet our friends in the forest. Training session testing our abilities on one another. Let's go!" Lee bounded out the door.

"Training?" Naruto asked. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

"You were training with Anko." Shikamaru told him. "Chouji told Hinata and me before she threw you through the window."

"Ah."

Eventually, all of them were headed to the forest. Each one of them found a way to entertain themselves on the trip. Lee was talking excitedly to Tenten and Hinata. It was a very one-sided conversation. Shikamaru was in back of the group somehow sleeping and walking at the same time. Naruto was walking next to Neji. The Hyuuga genius kept on giving the demon container weird stares that didn't go unnoticed by the blond. Naruto had a pretty good idea why.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Naruto asked. _'Does he really know?'_

'_I guess he doesn't know he houses a demon. How can Lady Hikari be so calm around him?' _Neji thought.

"How close are you with my cousin?" Neji asked gesturing towards the Hyuuga heiress. Naruto looked at him like he had two heads. He wasn't expecting that question.

"Why?" Naruto asked warily.

"It's just that you're the first friend she's had really other than the Nara boy. Neji replied. "I want to make sure you are suitable to befriend her."

"What do you think of Shikamaru?" Naruto asked wanting to know how many stars the lazy boy had with the stoic Hyuuga.

"He seems decent enough. His attitude had better not wear off on her." He added coldly.

"That's good."

"So what are you like?"

Naruto shrugged. "I like ramen. I train everyday. I like sleeping. I'd like to graduate this year to become a genin. And I guess I like flowers. Naruto added thinking about the gardens outside the Hokage's building.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Naruto sighed. What and uptight and overprotective guy. You'd think he was talking to a father who wanted to make sure he was the right man for his daughter to marry.

"To be hokage."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I admire the old man and the Yondaime…somewhat." Naruto frowned a bit when he said Yondaime.

Neji opened his mouth to speak again when they heard Lee's voice ring out in front of them.

"We're here!"

Naruto smiled when he saw Chouji stuffing his face again. Did he ever run out of chips? Shino was quietly reading a book and nodded slightly when he saw the six. Kiba was playing fetch with his dog, Akamaru, and yelled his hello when he saw them. Naruto was also surprised when he saw Sasuke there. After he saw the smug look on his face the demon container knew he was just itching to test his abilities out on the other boys. Looks like he liked training. The Uchiha's smug smiled disappeared when he was smothered by his fangirls, Sakura and Ino. They had probably come to cheer him on. After they had all sat down, Kiba bounded in front of them.

"Okay! Now that we're all here, let's get started!" He smiled. He pulled a hat out from behind his back. "In this hat are numbers of one to eight." He said. "Each of the guys will pick one number at random and will be put on that board." The dog nin pointed to a tournament match-up board that Shino had. "Depending on what your number is will depend on who you face first. It's just like a tournament. The winner will determine which of the guys are stronger. The girls won't be participating 'cause, you know, that'd be kinda unfair."

"Sexist." Ino scoffed. Kiba shot her a glare.

"Anyway, let's rock and roll, dudes!"

Kiba held out the hat towards Shino. The bug boy reached in and pulled out the number six. Sakura wrote it on the board. Kiba picked a number for himself, it was three. Shikamaru pulled out his least favorite number.

'_Number one, huh? Shit.' _He thought frowning. Next was Naruto.

'_Number eight, eh? Damn.' _He thought arching his eyebrow.

Sasuke took out a slip and opened it silently. He held towards Sakura. It was four.

Chouji picked number four and Lee picked number five. Neji got number seven.

"Okay." Tenten said holding up the board. "In case you guys can't figure out who you're up against." The boys glared at her for that. "We've got the pairings her in order from who will fight first to who will fight last.

The pairs were:

Shikamaru vs. Chouji

Kiba vs. Sasuke

Lee vs. Shino

Neji vs. Naruto

Shikamaru took the field and faced each other. Chouji opened his squinted eyes and glared at Shikamaru, eyes burning with determination. He threw down his finished bag of chips with ferocity.

The Nara was in complete contrast to the boy in front of him. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he watched his friend through half-lidded eyes. He sighed and looked up at the sky.

"You shouldn't litter." He muttered.

"_**Nikudan Seisha!" **_Chouji yelled after doing some hand signs.

His body inflated and rolled towards his target. Shikamaru hopped out of the way before the human meat tank ran him over. Chouji rolled into the forest and was caught in the middle between two great oaks. His body reverted to its normal size.

"Good move Shikamaru." Chouji said in a cool guy voice. "But not good enough! I'm not done yet!"

"But I am." Shikamaru muttered. "I give up!" He called so the others could hear. Naruto and Hinata nodded understandingly while the others looked at him oddly. Shikamaru walked casually towards his friends and sat down in between them.

"Not worth the effort?" Naruto asked.

"Not even close." Shikamaru mumbled.

"You are so lazy Shika-kun." Hinata giggled.

Tenten shrugged and crossed Shikamaru's name off. She drew a line upwards from Chouji's name to the next round.

"Next round! Kiba vs. Sasuke-kun! Sakura announced.

Kiba and Sasuke came out to the battlefield, Kiba without his dog, and Sasuke ignoring the annoying cheers he was getting from Ino and Sakura. The two stuck to taijutsu for a while, Sasuke landing more blows on Kiba than he did on him, then switched to their signature jutsus.

"_**Gatsuuga!" **_

"_**Katon, Goukakyu no Jutsu!"**_

Kiba spun forward in the shape of a grey tornado as a huge fireball was headed straight towards him. He took the fireball head on but the jutsu was more powerful in strength and sent Kiba flying into a nearby tree. As he got up the group noticed his right leg was bleeding a little and parts of his jacket were scorched.

"Winner, Sasuke!" Tenten called.

"What?! I can still fight!" Kiba protested as he limped somewhat towards her.

"I don't want any of us getting hurt to badly doing this." She said. "Sakura will fix up your leg for you. You can't fight with it."

"What rule says I can't? Kiba retorted. "And who died and made you in charge?" Akamaru yapped in agreement to his master.

"Next, Lee vs. Shino! Tenten announced ignoring the mutt boy.

"Tenten, could you? Please?" Lee asked.

"Lee…"

"Please?"

Tenten sighed. "The shining fight, Rock Lee vs. Shino. Happy?"

"Yes!" Lee yelled. "Let me show you the flames of my youth!"

"He's been spending too much time with sensei." Tenten whispered to Neji. The boy nodded in agreement.

Lee came right at Shino with a flying kick. The poofy-haired ninja jumped out of the way as bugs flew out from his sleeves. The swarm caught Lee's foot as he tried to sidekick his opponent. The bugs hoisted him up in the air and covered the rest of his body preventing any movement. The boy struggled to get out of the bug's cocoon but couldn't.

"I give up!" He announced as some bugs started making their way to his face.

"Winner, Shino." Tenten said as she made the proper adjustments to the tournament board.

"Next, Neji vs. Naruto."

The boys took their positions. Neji took the Hyuuga clan's fighting stance while Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. He made no effort to move. The veins around Neji's eyes were visible as the Hyuuga boy charged towards his opponent. Just before Neji's palm came into contact with Naruto's face the demon container hopped in the air and aimed a kick at Neji's back. The genius barely turned around in time to block the kick. Neji was, however, unprepared for the sidekick to the side of his head a second later. He managed to absorb the blow but staggered backwards as the kick had an ample amount of force behind it. Naruto landed back on is feet a good distance away from his glaring opponent.

"Well played, Uzumaki." Neji said wiping the line of blood that had trickled from his mouth.

"Not so bad yourself, Genius." Naruto replied. The boy was quick. It took speed to counter his first attack. But the blond could go much faster and kick much harder if he wanted to.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to best me though!" Neji declared taking another charge at him.

Naruto met the Hyuuga's assault and drew a kunai as did Neji. The knives met sending tiny sparks out from in between them. Their friends looked at the fighters in fascination. This was indeed an interesting match.

"Wow! He's fighting on par with Neji!" Lee said in fascination.

"Yeah." Tenten agreed. "But that's not the best Neji can do. He'll win this."

Beside them Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Like hell Neji could beat Naruto. The smirking blond was hardly using any of his real strength.

"_Guess he wants to have a little fun first." _Shikamaru thought. Wear down his opponent and then almost beat him to death. It was Naruto's sick, but effective way of finishing off his opponents when he was having fun.

Naruto and Neji were still locked together by their kunai. Both were trying to overpower the other to try and get a strike at the other. Naruto pushed forward slightly. Neji gritted his teeth together as he felt himself being pushed back.

"What now, Genius?" Naruto smirked.

Neji bent backwards and the lock was broken. Naruto was about to hop back but Neji came up at him fast.

Naruto's eyes widened. He had gotten too careless. Neji smirked as his made points with his fingers.

"Eight Trigrams! 128 strikes!"

Naruto felt his chakra points being blocked as Neji's chakra filled the chakra points in his body. He had to act quick.

"Two strikes!" Neji yelled. "Four strikes! Eight strikes!" Sixte-"

Neji's attack was stopped by a hard punch to the stomach. Neji jumped back coughing up a bit of blood. Naruto recovered himself and stared at his opponent. He cracked his neck and knuckles.

"Damn, I fell stiff!" Naruto groaned. "Sealing up my chakra points like that. This isn't really even a match."

"So you know how my attack works?" Neji asked.

"Hin told me all about that." Naruto said. "You've gone and pissed me off now. I think I'll wrap this up." Naruto took a fighting stance and so did Neji. They started to move towards each other.

"TIME!"

"Eh?" Naruto and Neji said looking at Tenten. She pointed up at the sky.

"It's getting late." She said indicating the orange sky. The sun was setting. "You guys'll have to put your match on hold. We should all turn in for today. I got to get home before curfew."

"Yeah, I gotta help my sis clean the dog kennels today." Kiba groaned. "And I'm four hours late for that. She won't be happy."

"I must retire as well!" Lee declared. "Sensei always says 'early to bed, early to rise'. It helps preserve my youth!

"I've got chores at my family's flower shop." Ino shrugged.

"I have to go grocery shopping before it gets dark." Sakura said.

"I must leave for my own reasons." Shino said quietly.

"Hmph, fine." Neji said. "It seems we have to put our match on hold." Neji continued turning to Naruto. "Until next time, Uzumaki." Neji started walking away. "Come on, Lady Hinata!"

"I-I'm going to stay with Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun for a little while longer Neji." Hinata said. "I might be home late. Tell father and mother, okay?"

"As you wish." Neji replied before walking away with the others.

"See you later, Naruto! Tenten called.

"Our paths will cross again!" Lee yelled. "When that time comes…I hope you have better manners!"

Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru watched as their friends walked away. After they were gone the trio started heading towards the hill.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked when she heard the blond's big sigh.

"His eyes." Naruto sighed.

"Neji's?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, His bloodline limit was still activated even after our match was stopped."

"Your point?"

"That asshole doesn't trust me."

"Don't mind him Naruto-kun." Hinata said. "He's probably just feels uncomfortable with me staying up late at night. He's always been a bit over-protective of me."

'_That's probably not the only reason he's so cautious around me.' _Naruto thought.

"Oh crap." Shikamaru groaned when they caught sight of the crook tree. Naruto and Hinata also groaned when they saw their guest.

Anko was leaning against the tree looking right at the ninja in training. She had a sadistic smiled on her lips and a kunai twirling around her index finger. At her feet were at least a dozen poisonous snakes that see had probably summoned up for their training exercises. She waved to the trio.

"Glad you made it on time kiddies!" Anko said sweetly as they cautiously approached her. "I have made a special training exercise for each of you today! When you start going on missions you'll no doubt be faced with situations that will require you to take on more than one enemy at once. So, today's exercise teaches you how to deal with a problem like that."

"So you're going to teach us how to escape our enemies?" Hinata inquired.

"Nope!" Anko smiled. "You have to face those enemies head on and take down as many as you can!"

"That's just reckless." Shikamaru stated.

"It's how assassins like me work, punk." Anko said sadistically. "Take the enemy apart from the inside out…it's an efficient method when you got the speed or the technique for it. Now, six snakes to the punk, six to the mouse."

Anko pointed towards Shikamaru and Hinata and her reptilian pets slithered towards them. The two yelped and ran away to find a place to hide. There were, however, no more snakes for Naruto to fight.

"What? No snakes for me?" Naruto asked in mock offense. "Do you not think I'm strong enough to beat a few snakes?"

"Nah, I got a special regimen in store for you, brat." Naruto's smile disappeared. A giant snake slithered out from the trees and curled around Anko. It bent its head down to her level and she rubbed its massive head. Naruto didn't like where this was going.

"I know you can handle a few snakes no problem, so I'm going to pit you against a bigger opponent." Anko said. "Let's see if you can beat my pet."

The snake lunged for Naruto, its open mouth revealed to Naruto the endless hole he would go down if he was swallowed by it. He jumped up in the air as the snake struck where he had been moments before. Naruto gathered his chakra to his right foot and brought it down hard on the snake's head. Blood spurted from the snake's head as Naruto's blow smashed its skull. The massive form stiffed and then fell limp. Naruto stood on top of the dead reptile's head smirking at Anko. The snake woman smiled back.

"I thought you could defeat it." She said clapping her hands. "So I got a few more of my friends together. Anko snapped her fingers and five snakes that were as big and massive as the first appeared behind her, their forked tongues flicking from their mouths. Naruto frowned as Anko snapped her fingers again.

"Shit." He grumbled as the snakes lunged towards their prey.

X.X.X

Naruto lied down on the grass next to his two companions. All three of them were covered in sweat from their various exercises. Hinata had dispatched her snakes with ease, but Anko had another exercise for her. Anko wanted to teach Hinata more defensive moves so she unleashed thirty of the snakes at her. Hinata defeated half of them with a hit and run tactic, but the snakes cornered her at a boulder that blocked her from running. If Naruto hadn't come along and helped her defeat the rest of the snakes she may not have lived through her training. Anko then changed to sparring Hinata herself. Apparently, Anko thought the Hyuuga heiress could make a skilled assassin and started her training in the killing art after her exercise. Shikamaru had also disposed of his snakes easily too, but he took longer than Hinata did. Anko noticed he was using his shadow possession jutsu too much and tied his hands together with some rope. This was to help him with taijutsu training and getting him to rely on other tactics besides his family technique. It took the Nara two hours to defeat the twenty snakes that Anko had sent after him. Not using his special jutsu sucked. Naruto had fought snake after snake after snake. Every time the demon container beat one group of giant snakes Anko summoned another group with two more snakes than the last. It may have just been fatigue weakening Naruto's senses, but he swore that each snake she summoned was bigger than the last. His high score for number of snakes beaten in one group, thirty-four. He had lost horribly at number thirty-six. After that, Anko had the three run fifty laps around the village before turning in. Finally, it was all finished.

"So how you guys feeling?" Anko asked standing over them.

"I hate you." Naruto grumbled.

"You're troublesome." Shikamaru panted.

"Um…t-that was a good workout." Hinata said. The two boys glared at her.

"I'm glad one of you appreciating my helping you." Anko said. Naruto rolled his eyes. Anko kicked him in the stomach. "Take Hinata home, brat."

"What? Why?" Naruto demanded getting up. He wanted to go home and sleep. Why did he have to walk all the way to Hinata's house?

"Because it's dangerous for a young lady to be out at dark by herself." Anko stated. "She needs a big, strong man to look after her." Hinata blushed at this. "Get moving!"

"What about Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata asked.

"He doesn't seem to be putting as much effort into training as you two are." Anko said. "So from now on I'm going to give him…special…attention." Shikamaru paled. Naruto and Hinata looked at him in sympathy.

"Well? What are you two still doing here? Leave so I can train him. I don't let anyone see my secret training." Anko cracked her knuckled darkly.

Naruto grinned. "Good luck with that buddy. I hope to see you on the other side." Shikamaru glared at him. Naruto and Hinata left to leave their friend to suffer in peace. Anko's eyes narrowed and she grinned maniacally. Shikamaru groaned.

"Shit."

As Naruto and Hinata left the forest Shikamaru's distinct scream could be heard from the forest. Naruto bowed his head.

"Let us pray for him." Naruto smiled. Hinata giggled.

X.X.X

Hinata looked at the boy next to her. Naruto was staring up at the sky with his hands behind his head. The two had not spoken a word since they left the forest. Occasionally, Naruto would make a comment about the sky or training that Hinata would just nod her head to. The streets were deserted since it was late and all the shops were closed so it was just the two of them. She wanted to talk with her friend about something, but she couldn't come up with anything to say to him. They were friends right? So why the hell was it so hard to talk to him?

She blushed as she looked into his blue eyes. They reminded her of the ocean…she had only seen it once when her family went on a trip. His eyes reminded her of so many happy times. She wondered why that was.

Naruto seemed to be deep in thought about something, she opened her mouth to say something but then closed it. Hinata realized even though they were friends, she barely knew anything about him! She barely even talked to him. Maybe it was because she was afraid she'd say something embarrassing. No…that wasn't it and she knew it. Hinata bowed her head and sighed. Why couldn't she talk to her friend?

"So, Hinata, what's up?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Eh?" The Hyuuga girl looked up at him.

"You've been awfully quiet." Naruto said. "I just want to get to know you a little better. I've also noticed you don't talk to me that much…so…is something bothering you?"

Hinata blushed. She still didn't say anything to the blond. She just nodded. Naruto sighed.

"Or…is it you don't think of me as a friend?"

Hinata's head shot up. Naruto was looking at the ground appearing downcast. She didn't mean for him to feel that way!

"N-No! I-It's not like that!" Hinata sputtered. "You are my friend!" Naruto looked at her.

"I have this effect on most people." Naruto said. "Everyone is either afraid of me or hates me. You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

"No! No I'm not!" Hinata shouted. She blushed as she twiddled her fingers together. "You a-and Shikamaru-kun a-are the first, well, friends I've had in…in a long time. I'm not afraid of you, Naruto-kun. I…I want to get closer to you…really." Hinata's face was now beet read.

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head. "You know, it's the same for me Hin. You and Shikamaru are the first friends I've ever had. I want to get closer to you too." The girl's face was now an interesting shade of purple. "So, can you at least try to talk to me? Nara and I are already best buddies so I want to get to know you better Hinata. We're friends, right?"

"Hm!" Hinata nodded her head.

The two talked on and on about various things that happened throughout their lives. Hinata stuttered a couple times, but was getting more comfortable speaking to him. Naruto also talked to her about various things, but left the villagers detest of him and the Kyuubi to himself. No way he'd ever tell anyone his secret. The two were so deep in conversation that they almost past Hinata's house. She bowed to Naruto before entering her house.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." She said a pretty blush grazing her cheeks. "Good luck tomorrow.

"Knock it off with the bowing." Naruto chuckled. "See ya tomorrow."

Hinata smiled and closed the door. Naruto started walking away. "Wonder what she meant by 'good luck tomorrow'?" Naruto thought aloud.

He suddenly groaned. Without Hinata to talk to there was nothing to distract him from the immense fatigue and soreness from the training they did earlier. His whole body felt like it would collapse. Naruto made a few hand signs and disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

Inside the Hyuuga house Hinata leaned up against the front door. She put a hand on her heart and felt it beating rapidly at though her chest might burst. She blushed and smiled contently. She started feeling very dizzy all of a sudden as her thoughts trailed to the smirking blond.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata sighed. She fainted right on the spot.

From the across the garden Hikari smiled at her daughter. "Ah, my daughter's first love." She smiled cupping her face.

X.X.X

Naruto opened the door to Anko's house. He had planned on picking up his book and leaving, but when he caught sight of the couch with covers on top of it, he couldn't withstand another moment without sleep. He threw himself on the couch. He felt extreme discomfort when he did though. The couch was a lot lumpier than he remembered.

"Get off me…now." Came Shikamaru's sleepy voice.

Naruto got off his friend so he could sit up. Shikamaru looked like he had been through hell…and he probably had. He face was covered in cuts and his hair was all over the place. Parts of his jacket were torn and his right sleeve had been completely torn off. There were cuts and gashes all over his arms and a bite mark on his left arm. Naruto chuckled slightly.

"I take it the death god was not kind to you." He smirked.

"Tch, funny." Shikamaru grumbled. "I'll tell you what hell's like tomorrow."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"After my 'special' training I was to tried and beaten to even move. Anko carried… dragged me to here and threw me on the couch. She said I was welcome to stay the night.

"What about your parents?"

Shikamaru sighed. "My dad is too lazy to care and my mom is probably to busy yelling at him to worry about me right now. It's fine."

Naruto sighed. "That's all well and good but where am I going to sleep? It's already midnight." Naruto indicated the clock.

"Anko's still up." The shadow manipulator said. "Ask her where you can sleep. The couch is mine." Shikamaru cocooned himself back in the covers.

Naruto made his way upstairs to Anko's room. She was indeed still up and reading…a book? As Naruto got a closer look he realized it was _his _book she was reading. He swiped it away from her before she noticed he was there. Anko yawned.

"Bout' time ya got here, brat." Anko said sleepily.

"You shouldn't take other people's stuff without telling them." Naruto stated.

"It's my house. Whatever's in it is as good as mine." Anko retorted.

"That's really screwed up logic." Naruto sighed. "Where can I sleep?"

Anko scooted over to the left side of the bed. She looked at Naruto expectantly.

"It's either this or the floor."

Naruto sighed and climbed into bed not caring he was still in his clothes. He sighed in contentment at the coziness of the covers.

"It's a good thing we trained so hard today." Anko said. "You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Don't you know? Graduation tests are tomorrow." Anko said.

Naruto grumbled. Great, just great. Aside from morning exercises the graduation test was tomorrow. Just what he needed. Oh well.

Naruto closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep. Anko looked at his sleeping form.

"So the hokage gave the book to him." She said softly. "Does Hokage-sama think he's ready?"

From within the Kyuubi was observing the chakra around him. He smiled as the dark, dripping corridors started dripping with chakra. Not the Kyuubi's chakra, but Naruto's. He smiled evilly.

"**Well kit. Looks like you'll get even stronger now…more powerful. Soon, that power will be mine for the taking."**

X.X.X

A/N: Yeah…I have no comment.

Once again, sorry for the wait. Aside from school I also had a short writer's block for a bit so sorry if you didn't find this chapter very interesting. When I wrote this chapter I was trying to show Naruto's feelings towards the fourth, shed a bit of light on the Unamekei clan (Crappy name, I know), give readers a perception on Naruto's relationship with his friends and rivals, and, of course, advance the plot. I also tried my best to make fighting scenes in this chapter. The tournament was an experiment to see if I good write a good fighting scene. Please tell me if I did a good job with the fighting, if not, tell me how I can improve.

And if you haven't figured it out yet, Naruto and co. will become genin next chapter. It is so obvious who Naruto's teammates are it's not even funny. I am, however, having a hard time deciding who their sensei should be.

Yeah, I'm in a fix here. I have ideas for all the sensei's but can't pick. Though one of them is probably the one I'll end up using. But I'll leave it up to the reviewers.

Which sensei should teach Naruto's team?

-Anko?

-Asuma?

-Kakashi?

-Kurenai?

-or Yamato?

I don't care which, so I'll let you guys choose. Just give me your answer when you review. I'll post the next chapter after I decide.

Thanks for all your reviews so far and tell other people about my story. I hope you guys will continue to read.

Anywho, read and review.

Kiiam


	5. Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Sorry for the wait. My computer broke down and I got a lot do. Eh, what the hell, I was also too damn lazy to write lately too. This chapter was a bit of a challenge as this chapter depended on where the story will go and how flexible it will be. While writing this A whole bunch of ideas popped into my head and I had to revise and redo this chapter many times over and I'm glad to finally be done with it. Anywho, sorry for the long wait (Stupid computer) and I hope you'll contine to read and review. Enjoy.

2/17/08 NOTICE: I will be correcting some stuff on this story tomorrow. I can't do it now because I got other work to do.

**Chapter 5**

If there was one thing Naruto hated, it was getting woken up right after he fell asleep. What pissed him off even more was the face he saw when he woke up. And what pissed him off the most is that he was technically still asleep, just awake subconsciously. Naruto glared into the red eyes of the Kyuubi who had just interrupted his nap. It was rare that the fur ball would call the demon container to his mindscape on his own he must have something important to say, but in the state he was in Naruto couldn't have cared less.

"What…the hell…do you want, fur ball?" Naruto seethed rubbing his temples. Oh, how he hated being woke up.

"**What? You don't feel it? Are you really that dense, Kit?" The Kyuubi chuckled. "Look around you, the process has already started."**

"Does everything you say have to be in a freaking riddle!?" Naruto yelled.

"**That wasn't a riddle Kit. I was merely pointing out the obvious."**

"What's so goddamn obvious, fur ball?" Naruto asked sitting down. He frowned as he sat down. His pants suddenly felt…damp. His trousers soon felt like they were soaking wet. He got back up and looked down. The water from the pipes was starting to rise. Naruto was alarmed. Usually, the Kyuubi's chakra would keep the water at bay from its immense power. So why wasn't it being pushed back? Naruto looked at the Kyuubi suspiciously.

"What did you do?" Naruto asked.

"**I didn't do anything. Look closer."**

Naruto looked down. The water was up to his ankles. He looked back to the long corridors of his mind that led away from the Kyuubi's cage. More water was dripping from the pipes on the ceiling. Some holes were big enough for gallons of water to pour through. The water level raised. Naruto looked back down at his feet that were now completely covered by the water. But he couldn't see his feet despite the fact the water was clear. Then Naruto saw it. Chakra was in the water, not the Kyuubi's, but his. Faint, but there, the blue chakra was abundant in the raising waters and seemed to become more visible as the water climbed higher. Naruto looked up at the demon fox as the sea of chakra reached his knees.

"**Can you tell, Kit? It's your chakra. Tons of it. It almost as much as I have." **

"H-How?" Naruto stuttered. He had always had immense chakra reserves, excluding the Kyuubi's chakra, but never like this. He half expected his body to burst from all the chakra that started to form.

"**You still can't figure it out?" **The Kyuubi laughed. **"Oh well. It's more fun if you don't know anyway."**

"What's going on? The water won't stop rising! Naruto yelled in alarm as he tried pulling himself out of his mindscape. But every time he reopened his eyes he still saw the Kyuubi's laughing face. The water was past his waist.

"**It's your chakra, control it!" **The Kyuubi barked with laughter.

It was too much. The pipes started to burst as the chakra water now flowed freely out of the tubes that it once channeled evenly through. The water was almost up to Naruto's shoulders as he pounced over to the Kyuubi's cage. He clutched the bars so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He almost stuck his head into the cage as he screamed.

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING! TELL ME! TELL ME!" Naruto shook the bars with all his might as his head went under the water. Why was he so afraid? He had never acted like this before. This was his chakra, so why is it he felt like he couldn't control it? Naruto halted in all movement and stared in front of him with wide eyes. He saw a mirror image of himself on the other side of the cage. It floated in front of him with his hands gripping onto the bars just like Naruto. Though, whatever it was did not look exactly like him. The boy had red hair, not yellow, and it looked slightly longer and more wild than Naruto's hair. His skin was a pale white and had red markings on his cheeks. They reminded Naruto of his own whisker marks on his cheeks. Naruto touched the whisker markings on his face while the other Naruto did the same touching his own red ones. The image had eyes as red as blood and black, slitted pupils making him look like a true demon. The image smiled revealing long jagged teeth. When Naruto saw his double smile it was like death was standing right next to him as an eerie feeling came over him making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Water started to boil around them.

"**Soon." **The boy spoke smiling evilly. **"Very soon, Kit."**

"_Kyuubi?" _Naruto's voice echoed. His hand suddenly went to his throat as his lungs instantly felt constricted. Bubbles erupted around him as the water started to boil and the need for oxygen overwhelmed him. Naruto tried to swim up but his chakra kept him in place. The blue chakra swirled around him creating a tornado with him in the center. Naruto felt his eyes become heavy and starting to droop. Naruto fought to stay awake, to ask the Kyuubi more questions but his eyes closed. All around him he could hear the Kyuubi's cackling voice.

"**Get stronger, Kit. That strength will be mine soon. Very…very soon."**

That was all Naruto heard before blacking out. That, and the face of the boy who looked so different from him, but also looked just like him.

X.X.X

Naruto gasped as he awoke for the second time that night. Of course, he soon realized it was morning when he felt the rays of the sunlight hit his eyes. He clutched his head as he took deep, shaky breaths.

'_Damn fur ball kept me up all night.' _Naruto thought, but that was the least of his worries. What had happened in his mindscape confused, and most of all, frightened him. The Kyuubi's words were still ringing in his head. The suffocating feeling was still there, but disappearing as he took in fresh, morning air. Naruto shook his head and hopped out of the bed. Anko was no longer there, but when he heard yelling coming from downstairs he knew she was up and still in the house. Naruto looked at the Unamekei Clan book on the table next to the bed. He pocketed the book before making his way downstairs.

Anko's yelling voice and Shikamaru's groaning were music to his ears as he entered the kitchen.

'_Nine o'clock and the bitch is already drunk.' _Naruto thought looking at the clock and then the bottle of liquor in Anko's hand.

Naruto sat down next to Shikamaru, his waffles already set before him.

"And so I sez' to him, I'm not your wrench! Then I kicked him in the balls, and clawed out his eye." Anko slurred as she garbled on about something she had done during a bar fight.

"Quite a joy to wake up to, eh Shikamaru?" Naruto said taking a bite out of his meal.

"I'm never sleeping here again." Shikamaru groaned. "It's too troubleso- you know, I don't think I even have to say it at this point."

"So, Hinata told me we have graduations today." The blond said ignoring Anko's yelling.

"Do we now?" Shikamaru replied taking a sip of his milk. "I never knew."

"Confident?"

"Not particularly."

"Gonna pass?"

"Don't care."

"Looking forward to?"

"Getting away from her." Shikamaru pointed at the purple-haired drunk across the table.

"Yeah." Naruto agreed. "At least if we do pass we won't have to put up with her training as we'll probably be busy on missions and crap."

"Confident?" Shikamaru asked his friend.

"Yep."

"Are you going to pass?"

"Yep."

"Reasons?"

"I want a headband."

Shikamaru smiled. "What a pain." Naruto smiled back. Despite their lazy attitudes the two were looking forward to graduation. They had been working, and sleeping, for years waiting to graduate. They would finally get a sensei, go on missions, and finally get out of that stuffy, old academy. Thought they would miss a few things, like Iruka-sensei, but they could go visit him anytime.

"Who's team do you want to be on?" Shikamaru asked.

"Er, isn't that obvious? Whatever team you're on." Naruto said arching an eyebrow at the Nara.

"I know, just who do you want our third member to be?"

Naruto shrugged. "Preferably Hinata, I'd kill myself if I was stuck with Ino or Sakura." Shikamaru chuckled at this. "She's our friend after all, but if not her I'd like either Sasuke or the bug guy. They're strong."

"Hm." Shikamaru nodded in response. Their conversation was interrupted when they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." Naruto sighed as Anko fell down trying to get to the door. He opened it and found Hinata standing there with a pretty blush on her cheeks.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Hinata said bowing.

"What did I say about the bowing?" Naruto said.

"Sorry." Hinata giggled.

"What brings you here?"

"Well." Began the Hyuuga heiress. "I left early so I could go get you and Shikamaru-kun because I thought we could walk to academy together. I didn't find you at your house so I decided to go to Anko-sensei's house to see if you were there. And here you are."

"Anko-sensei?" Naruto asked disbelievingly. "You seriously think SHE could ever be a teacher? It's a wonder she even became a Jounin in the first place."

"I heard that!" Came the woman's slurred reply. Shikamaru could be heard groaning.

"Shikamaru-kun is here too?" Hinata asked cocking her head to the side.

"You'll laugh when you see him." Naruto chuckled. "I would have paid good money to see his lazy ass being worked to the bone."

"I heard that."

"Good."

Hinata smiled at their antics. "So, you ready to go to academy?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"Not yet!"

Anko stumbled towards them dragging Shikamaru by his spiky ponytail despite his cries of protest. She smiled as she handed Naruto and Hinata some weights.

"You're kidding right?" Naruto asked knowing what the sadistic woman was thinking. "These weigh a ton."

"Exactly."

"I hate you so much."

Anko smiled and threw Shikamaru out the door with his friends. She pointed towards the woods.

"Thirty laps around the village then you can go to class." Anko said. "Think of it as warming up before your graduation test."

Naruto and Shikamaru sighed deciding not to argue with the woman. Contrary to them, Hinata nodded her head as she started to put on the weights. A few minutes later the three were jumping through the tree with Anko barking orders behind them.

X.X.X

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata were standing in a line waiting for their turn. Graduation tests had started the minute they got to class. They were late because of the exercises, but they still had enough energy to complete the test. Naruto looked around him to see how his other friends were feeling. Sasuke was standing near the front of the line looking bored as usual. He was trying to ignore Sakura and Ino who were fawning over him telling him how great he was and if there was anything he needed. Naruto could tell by the Uchiha's twitching eyebrow that he might snap at any moment. He pitied him deeply. Chouji stood next to Shikamaru stuffing his face with his favorite snack once again. He looked slightly nervous but also had a determined look in his eyes. Kiba was "talking" to Akamaru. He was saying something about how cool it would be when they become genin or something. Shino was standing near the back standing still like a statue and was just as silent as one. Shikamaru was trying his best to sleep standing up and Hinata was waiting patiently for her turn. Naruto observed all of this through half-lidded eyes with his hands shoved in pockets. Iruka sat behind his desk with another Chunin, Mizuki, next to him. They were the ones running the tests this year. Iruka smiled at the possible graduates.

"You've all worked hard and I'm confident you'll all pass." Iruka smiled. "I want you all to use the bunshin no jutsu and create at least three clones of me or Mizuki, who ever you like more." Everyone shook their heads. "You'll have three tries to do it so relax and good luck."

Sakura was up first. In a puff of smoke three Iruka clones appeared where Sakura was a moment ago. In another puff of smoke Sakura was standing where the Irukas were standing. She had a proud look on her face.

"Very good, Sakura." Iruka nodded checking her off.

"How was that Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked turning to the boy. He grunted in response.

Ino's tryout ended up exactly like Sakura's. She passed and asked Sasuke what he thought, and tried to put down Sakura.

"How's that Sasuke-kun. Better than forehead girl right?" Ino said smugly.

"Shut up, Pig!"

"Quiet billboard brow!"

"Girls!" Iruka said. "Stop fighting." Mizuki chuckled beside him. "Hinata, you're up."

Hinata performed the jutsu easily. She was checked off and Shikamaru ended up just like her. Naruto took his place in front of Iruka's desk as Shikamaru walked back in line. Naruto smiled inwardly as an idea started to form in his mind. He had three chances to do it. Why not have a little fun?

"Any day Naruto." Iruka said when he didn't do any thing.

Naruto smirked and transformed. He did make three clones of Iruka, but they were all as ugly as hell. There was also three other clones of Mizuki who looked even uglier than the Irukas. All the clones looked like they had been melted, mushed, and rolled up as parts of their face and body were either depressed or inflated. Naruto was in the middle of the six clones chuckling. Behind him he heard his classmates snicker.

"…Naruto." Iruka said his eyebrow twitching. Beside him Mizuki snapped his pencil.

"Right, right." Naruto smiled as the clones disappeared. He had two more tries, which meant one more chance to screw around with his teachers. He put his hands together.

"Oiroke no jutsu."

Naruto turned into a very beautiful girl…a very beautiful, _naked _girl. Iruka's chair fell over and Mizuki just stared with his mouth hanging open.

"How's this sensei?" The girl asked seductively.

"NARUTO!" Iruka yelled getting up with blood pouring from his nostrils. "DO WHAT I ASKED YOU TO DO!"

Naruto chuckled as he returned to his normal form. This time he did do the jutsu correcting making three perfect clones of Iruka and three clones of Mizuki.

"Fine." Iruka said stuffing some tissue up his nose. Mizuki checked Naruto off glaring at the smirking blond. Naruto took his place back in line.

"I think Anko's sense of humor is rubbing off on you." Shikamaru sighed.

"Nah, I just wanted to feel pretty during graduation." Naruto laughed. "You got anything to comment Hinata?" The girl made no reply. Her face was as red as a tomato.

The rest of the test went by smoothly. Everyone managed to pass, some easier than others, but passed nonetheless. Naruto smiled as his Konoha headband was handed to him. Iruka smiled at him.

"Congratulations Naruto." Iruka said. "I'm proud of you. Welcome to the life of a ninja."

Naruto took off the goggles on his forehead and gave them to his teacher.

"Keep them." Naruto said before walking out the door. "Thanks for tolerating me all these years, Iruka-sensei."

"Remember, be here tomorrow so you can be put in a team!" Iruka called after him. Beside him Mizuki cast a disapproving glare at the blond boy before he left the building.

"That demon fox didn't deserve to become a Genin." Mizuki muttered. "He shouldn't even be alive."

X.X.X

Naruto sighed. He was walking through the streets reading the Unamekei Clan book while walking. It was late at night and he was trying his best not to get found by Anko. He had tried ditching training saying he should get a day off because he was officially a genin now but the purple-haired slave driver would have none of it. They played a five-hour game of cat and mouse until Naruto finally lost her. He decided to pass the time by reading the book he had never taken out of his pocket.

"My father came home today looking more bruised up than ever. Today must have been hard. Mom tried to comfort him but it didn't work out so well. He wasn't in the mood for talking. When I asked him how he did he said only a few made it home. Kami, my people should be getting some assistance in this war. We can't defeat an army by ourselves! I've got my first B-rank mission tomorrow so I better get to sleep I'll write some more tomorrow."

Naruto flipped through the next few pages to get ahead. This guy sure was a boring writer.

"One of my teammates was killed today. What were the chances of running into S-class enemies on a C-rank mission? Sensei blamed himself for what happened. He keeps saying that he wishes he was faster, maybe then he could of saved him. So, to help my sensei, today I pledge to become the fastest ninja ever! I'll become so fast nobody will be able to see me! I'll be the greatest ninja ever!"

"He must be pretty young to write things like this." Naruto chuckled. The next few pages were blank until he came to a page with less messy writing.

"I haven't written in awhile. I guess sensei and me have been busy fighting and crap so I haven't really gotten around to writing. I'm seventeen now. Damn…it has been awhile. I should explain how things are going for me now I guess. I've gotten a lot faster and have developed a technique that only I can use so far, bar sensei. I'm a Jounin now despite my young age. I've been sent to the front lines along with others from my clan and, somehow, I've lived. Sure I've gotten stronger but there are a lot of guys in the army that are stronger than me. I've learned most of the techniques my clan uses. I go into battle tomorrow and-"

Naruto's reading was interrupted as he noticed a person walking towards him. The demon container put the book away and stopped walking when the shady figure did.

"Hello, Kyuubi boy."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Someone looking for a fight?" The figure walked out of the shadows and turned out to be Mizuki. The white-haired Chunin sneered at the blond. Naruto slipped his hand into his pouch and grabbed a kunai knife when he noticed the two large shuriken on his back. The man looked at Naruto with hate in his eyes. Naruto glared at the man through narrowed eyes. He knew about the Kyuubi? Then he should also know that the demon container was very touchy when it came to his "special" problem.

"Mizuki-sensei, what are you doing here?" The boy said cracking the muscles in his neck.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Mizuki sneered. "What are you doing?"

"Running from a crazy psycho bitch." Naruto replied. "But to hell with the pleasantries, you don't come up to me at ten at night and mention that demon. What do you want?"

"To make an offer." Mizuki said. "Help me get what I want, or I kill you right now."

"You seriously don't know who you're screwing around with do you?" Naruto asked taking out the kunai he had been holding.

"Naruto, almost everyone in this village knows what you are. As you know, they detest and hate you and want you to just go away." Naruto grunted at this. Mizuki continued. "So why do you stay? Why don't you just leave? This village has no place for demons."

"Ask me for help and then start bitching to me? You pretty shitty with kids aren't you? Naruto said. "I stay because I got friends that _don't_ want me to go away so you can just crawl up a hole and die."

Mizuki laughed. "The only reason they're friends with you is because they don't know what you are! You know that! The minute they find out what you are they'll shun you just like everyone else. A person like you should have never been born. You're not even worth the trash in the gutters."

Naruto gripped his kunai tighter. Now he was pissed.

"Okay, _sensei." _Naruto spat. "I don't really want to help you now and I don't plan on dying either. If you really want to fight then come at me. I just hope you've got a tombstone prepared for your funeral."

"Die Kyuubi!" Mizuki yelled as he charged towards the boy spinning the giant shuriken star. Naruto got ready, got ready to cut that sneer right of Mizuki's face. But he never got to that point. Mizuki was propelled backwards and his giant weapon disappeared. A second later Naruto saw Mizuki on the ground groaning in pain and Anko holding the shuriken and her arm outstretched. She had clotheslined him.

"What are you children doing out here so late at night?" Anko asked sweetly. "And you shouldn't be running around with these, Mizuki. You could poke someone's eye out."

"A-Anko! W-What are you doing here?" Mizuki asked getting up. He backed up about ten feet away from her.

"Oh, just looking for the brat." Anko said walking over to the blond and grabbing him by the collar before he could get away. "Thanks for finding him for me, I was just about to stop looking." She bent down close to Naruto. "And you had better be prepared for the torture I have in store for you for trying to skip training." Anko whispered menacingly.

"Great, uh, I'm going to leave now, um…I got stuff to do." Mizuki muttered. As he was walking away Anko's voice could be heard behind him.

"Don't screw with me, Mizuki. I catch you messing with the brat again, well, let Kami have mercy on your soul." Mizuki burst into a full sprint and was gone in a blink of an eye.

"You can let go now." Naruto said pointing to his shirt.

"I could, but won't." Anko said as she dragged him away. "You may have gotten out of training today but I'm going to make sure you spend all tomorrow night training and you're not going to get an ounce of sleep. Never try to skip training and succeed."

"Huh? No more training? It's only ten! Usually you have us working till midnight!" Naruto said astonished.

"You _are _going to be training." Anko said. "Since you, the mouse, and the punk are ninja now you guys will be going on missions soon. You and the punk are sleeping over Hinata's tonight. When you guys get put in teams you'll need to learn to live with your teammates. This will help you learn how to communicate with others and what missions that take days, weeks, or months are like."

Naruto rolled his eyes though he wasn't complaining. It sure beat training. He could hang out with his friends and talk about, well, what teenagers usually talk about at sleepovers. The only thing he disliked about the idea was that Neji would probably give him a hard time.

'_He's a really uptight ass.' _Naruto thought as Anko dragged him towards the Hyuuga mansion.

X.X.X

Hinata and Shikamaru were sitting in the garden playing a game of Shogi. Shikamaru was winning big time and Hinata was fretting over what his next move would be. Just as the Nara was moving his piece in for a checkmate Anko burst through the door tossing Naruto towards them and he landed unceremoniously on their playing board finishing their game and making a tie. Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched and Hinata jumped back in surprise. Naruto groaned as he got up.

"Thanks, bitch. I think I've got a Shogi piece up my ass." Naruto grumbled.

"Have fun kiddies." Anko smiled at her students ignoring Naruto's comment. "I'll be back in the morning for training and brat, behave yourself. Mommy has a meeting to go to. Have fun." Anko flashed them a peace sign and slammed the door. Naruto slapped his forehead.

"She's starting to sound like my freakin' mother." Naruto muttered earning laughs from his friends. The three stood in silence for a moment…awkward silence. This was probably the first time they had slept over anyone's house and as stupid as it sounded, they didn't know what to do. Shikamaru started to open his mouth until they all heard a familiar voice ring out.

"Hello Naruto-kun!" Yelled Lee as he bounded towards him. He jumped in the air and flew down at the blond aiming a kick at his head. Naruto sighed and sidestepped making the exuberant ninja trip, roll, and smash into the wall across the room. Naruto could hear Neji's groan and Tenten's giggle behind him.

"Tenten, genius, what's up?" Naruto said turning to them. Tenten smiled while Neji glared. The demon container sighed when he saw the Hyuuga boy's eye veins pop out.

"Hey Naruto." Tenten smiled. "You sleeping over too?"

"That's the plan."

"Cool! We can talk about things like what kind of missions we get, fighting techniques, jutsu, weapons, and all that!"

The girl's rant was interrupted by Lee who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was quick.

"Lady Hikari thought it would be a good idea if we all have a sleepover together." Lee said. "She talked it over with Anko-sensei and we were informed about this. Tenten and I, of course, were more than happy to join in this activity."

"You don't say."

"And may I be the first to congratulate you three on becoming ninja!" Lee shouted joyously pumping his fist in the air.

"I'll be the second." Tenten said. "Congrats."

Naruto shrugged as did Shikamaru. Hinata bowed towards them thanking them for the compliment. Neji nodded his approval at them.

After the praising was done the six ninja proceeded to having their sleepover. They were told several times by a sleepy Hikari to keep quiet as Lee's ranting and Tenten's yelling were keeping her and the rest of the house up. Naruto enjoyed himself while he was awake but couldn't get too comfortable under Neji's annoying stare. Kyuubi was right about him knowing his secret. He wouldn't keep his Byakugan activated if he didn't suspect Naruto of anything. Naruto tried his best to ignore him. Near twelve is when the kids started to turn in and Naruto was thankful for that. Naruto and Shikamaru were sleeping in Hinata's room while Lee and Tenten were sleeping in Neji's room. When Naruto saw Hinata's room he was a bit surprised. She wasn't as pampered as he thought she would be since she was the heiress to the clan. The room was very plain. Naruto and Shikamaru rolled out some mats given to them by Hikari and set up their beds. Hinata walked out the bathroom in her sleepwear. She was a quick changer. Shikamaru took off his jacket and Naruto changed into a black T-shirt. The three settled into bed.

"Tomorrow's the day." Shikamaru said.

"When we get our teams?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah. We'll also get our sensei."

"I hope it's someone half-way sane." Naruto muttered. His friends laughed. "I just hope we're all on the same team."

"Teams are arranged for the teammates to be effective in helping each other and working together." Shikamaru said. "They try to make each person specialize in one thing to help another, like tracking or skill."

"Perfect." Naruto said. "I got strength, you got the brains, and Hinata's got the Byakugan. It's pretty evened out." Shikamaru shrugged.

"We should all probably get some sleep." Hinata yawned. "We can talk more in the morning." Naruto and Shikamaru nodded in agreement and they all went to sleep.

X.X.X

Naruto had planned on sleeping as much as he could before training but his bladder suggested otherwise. The blond sat up and wiggled out of his covers that had entangled him in a soft yet strong grasp. Naruto looked at the clock next to Hinata's bed a read the numbers that said it was two fourteen in the morning. Naruto groaned and got up making his way out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.

Naruto flushed the toilet and washed his hands. He was about to go back to the room when he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Naruto waited until the footsteps disappeared. After they were gone he quietly stepped out of the bathroom and ran in the direction he heard the steps were going.

The blond stopped in the center of the main garden. He looked around but found no signs of the intruder. He sighed and scratched his head.

"It was probably just my imagination." Naruto said to himself.

"Who goes there?"

Naruto looked around to find the person who had spoken to him but found no one.

"Uzumaki?"

Naruto relaxed. He recognized the voice. The demon container looked up to see Neji standing on the roof. Neji glared back down at him.

"What are you doing here?" Neji asked.

"That's my line." Naruto said jumping up to the roof.

Neji hopped over to the other side of the roof so he overlooked the roofs of the other houses of Konoha village. Naruto sat beside him. Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance when he saw the veins around Neji's eyes pop out.

"You don't have to be so cautious around me." Naruto sighed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid genius. You can deactivate your Byakugan anytime."

Neji glared at him. "I can't let my guard down around you. I don't think you're aware that-

"I know the fur ball's got ya scared but I can handle him." Naruto said. Neji's eyes widened.

"Y-You know?"

"Yeah. You do too. Have you told anyone?" Naruto asked.

"No, but Lady Hikari seems to know too." Neji said. "She is quite relaxed around you though."

"Then why aren't you?"

Neji looked away from him. Why was he talking so familiarly with him? He was a threat, a monster, a demon. Why should he even be talking with him?

"Because…your dangerous. I can't trust you." Neji said.

"Why not? I haven't done anything."

"I must always be on my guard." Neji said. "There is too much deceit and evil in this world to relax. I must always be on my guard to ensure that those around me are protected. I can trust no one."

Naruto looked at the boy next to him. He seemed to be under enormous strain. His eyes were always watching him, but Naruto could also see something else in the boy's eyes. It was hard to say what it was but it was as if he was fighting and unseen force. Neji's eyes had troubled him in more ways then one, they're constant surveillance, the blank white that looked like it could see right through you, and the tired, strained look deep inside them. What was the reason for this boy's stress? Was it the same reason he was alerted by his presence?

"Why can't you trust me?" Naruto asked. "Seems all my friends but you trust me."

'_Friends?'_ Neji thought. He considered him a friend? That was rich. "I can't trust you because you are a demon, a monster. Also you give me no reason to trust you. I can't-

Neji was interrupted by a fist connecting to his face. He was thrown back from the force of the blow. He sat back up and lightly touched his cheek that was already starting to swell. He glared at Naruto who was standing up rubbing his knuckles with a murderous smirk on his face. Neji scooted back a little bit in fear.

"Don't…ever…call…me…a…goddamn monster." Naruto seethed. "You barely even know me. Don't go judging people by what others have told you, nor by what your eyes have shown you."

"I can't trust you." Neji said. "I can't trust anyone who comes close to Hinata, my teammates, or anyone who is even the slightest threat to the Hyuuga clan. I cannot believe in anyone anymore."

Naruto's expression softened. Neji seemed to become very sad all of a sudden. Had his punch cracked that hard skull of his?

"My father…is dead." Neji sighed. Naruto looked away. Looks like he was gonna tell him something he probably shouldn't hear, but what the hell, he was curious.

"As you know, the seal on my forehead binds me and all lower branch members to the main branch and the Hyuuga Clan. This seal was made to keep our clan's secrets hidden even after death. The main branch does not wear the seal as they run the clan and are not binded by it. The seal keeps us obedient to them and the elders. We are binded to the main branch, to serve them until we die."

"Yeah… and?"

"My father was killed because of it." Neji said. Naruto's eyes widened. "After we had made peace with the lightning country they're kage came for Lady Hinata in the night. She was only three at the time so she could not prevent capture or call for help. Lord Hiashi managed to stop the Raikage and rescue Lady Hinata, but the scoundrel was killed in the process."

"Isn't that good then? Why was your dad killed?" Naruto asked.

"The lightning country denied all and any connections to the attempted kidnapping demanding that Lord Hiashi pay for killing their leader. They demanded that Lord Hiashi's dead body be delivered to them as atonement for killing the Raikage. Not wanting to lose the ally we gained and to prevent another war the elders announced that we would comply with they're demands."

"But… Hiashi's still here right? You guys talk about him all the time." Naruto said in confusion. Neji sighed.

"My father, Hizashi, was Lord Hiashi's double, in other words, they were twins. Lord Hiashi was just born before my father so he was put in the main branch and my father the lower branch. The elders did not want to hand over Lord Hiashi to the lightning country in fear that the clan's secrets to the Byakugan would be revealed as Lord Hiashi did not have the seal that keeps our secret hidden. The elders ordered the death… with my father replacing Lord Hiashi. My father complied with no complaints."

Naruto noticed Neji was clenching his teeth and his hands were balled into fists. He didn't know what the boy was feeling. He had never had any family to begin with so he didn't know the pain of someone close to him. The fact was, Naruto may never understand. The blond opened his mouth to speak but Neji beat him to it.

"I know it's no Lord Hiashi's fault that my father died. He even tried to prevent my father from getting killed. Those… those damn elders… those damn, deceitful lightning country nin. The elders rejoiced when my father was turned over to the lightning country. They said their joy was caused by the fact that our clan would be safe, but it was really that my father had been a rebellious member of the clan and had prevented them from controlling most of the clan. After my father died most everyone seemed to subject to the elders ways. Lord Hiashi is trying to liberate the seal that binds us and give us back our freedom, but honestly, I don't think he can do it. I've lost all hope in anything or anyone in this forsaken clan. The minute I was born I was destined to serve the main branch and the elders. Nothing will ever change that."

"It's your destiny?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. I cannot trust anyone because of my destiny. Anyone who is seen a threat to the Hyuuga clan I must be wary of. If I cannot do my duty I will be… disposed of. I've seen the elders do it. Many of the clan members have died by their hand. I can't fight it, no one can. Everyone is bitter and cruel and I cannot trust anyone. Never. I exist to serve the clan until I die. It is my destiny."

"No offense, but you're a pussy for saying that." Naruto chuckled. Neji looked at him surprised. "Where's the uptight ass of a genius who's been given me a hard time since I met him? If you want to succumb to the elders ways, the people that you hate, go right ahead. If you want to fight to find you own destiny, I'll stand behind you all the way."

Neji's expression was priceless. The surprise and astonishment on the Hyuuga boy's face was enough to make Naruto crack up laughing. But he wasn't that big of an ass, so he didn't laugh.

"But… it's impossible." Neji said. "I can't defy the elders or the clan. It's my destiny and-

"Enough with the destiny crap." Naruto sighed. "Why can't you just trust me? Find your own existence yourself. Don't let the elders tell you how to live your life, live as your own man. I'll help you if you need it."

Neji smiled. This Naruto was some guy. Neji's smiled turned into a frown. "I'm sorry, I can't fight. I serve the main branch." Naruto frowned. "But… I trust you, Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto looked at him. "And maybe with your help I can change, but not now."

Naruto smiled and got up. "You, genius, are a wimp." Neji stood up and grabbed his collar.

"What did you call me?" Neji growled at the blond's smirking face.

"Let's make a bet." Naruto said pulling away from the boy. "When we fight again, whoever wins will have the right to make the loser do one thing they want the loser to do." Neji raised an eyebrow. "If you win, I'll leave you and your clan alone. If I win, you have to fight and help Hiashi change the clan."

Neji looked at Naruto weirdly. A bet would decide if he would fight or not? What the hell, he'd do it.

"I accept your wager." Neji said taking Naruto's outstretched hand. "And I hope that you win."

"I will." Naruto smiled. It was then he noticed that the veins around Neji's eyes were absent.

Neji suddenly stiffened and he turned sharply with his Byakugan activated. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Shh! Listen!" Neji whispered. Naruto closed his eyes and waited for a sound. He heard something, far away, in the forest.

"I saw someone!" Neji said deactivating his bloodline limit. "In the forest. He seems to be on the run from something!"

Naruto was already on the move. He dashed over the roofs of the houses before him and made it to the forest in a few minutes. Neji jumped back inside the house to wake everyone up. He had a feeling something was wrong.

X.X.X

Naruto heightened his senses as he jumped through the forest trees. He could hear something else, something hurrying through the forest. As he got closer to whatever it was he could hear heavy breathing. It was human.

The demon container finally saw the running man. It was Mizuki. He was carrying a large scroll on his back and seemed to be out of breath. The man stopped to catch his breath placing the scroll down next to him. Naruto smirked when he saw his chance.

"Whew, I think I lost them." Mizuki said wiping the sweat from his brow. He reached down to pick the scroll back up only to find that it was gone. He looked around frantically until his eyes caught a patch off yellow, spiky hair.

"Y-You!" Mizuki sputtered pointing at Naruto.

"You should ask for permission before borrowing things that don't belong to you." Naruto said wagging his finger. "See ya!" The blond disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

Naruto hadn't gone that far but enough to put a good distance between him and Mizuki. He looked down at the scroll he had retrieved from Mizuki. He smirked when he saw the label.

"Forbidden techniques, huh? Oh, I am going to love this."

Naruto opened the scroll and scanned down the long list of techniques. One in particular caught his interest.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. This is useful." Naruto said. He spent a good amount of time practicing the jutsu and quickly mastered it. He would've copied more techniques but Mizuki burst through the foliage just as Naruto was trying to find another move.

"That was quicker than I thought." Naruto said wrapping up the scroll.

"The scroll! Give it to me!" Mizuki commanded.

"Um, no." Naruto said.

"Give it to me now!" Mizuki shouted advancing towards the blond.

Iruka suddenly jumped out of the trees punching Mizuki across the face.

"Don't give him the scroll Naruto!" Iruka yelled. "Go! I'll take care of him!"

"You trust him boy?" Mizuki cackled punching Iruka back. "Iruka hates you! The Kyuubi killed his family!" Naruto's eyes widened. "You actually think he wants to protect you? Give the scroll to me! A demon like you detests humans and humans detest-

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled silencing Mizuki. "I am not a demon. The Kyuubi is the Kyuubi and I am me. We are not the same person. At least you don't have to deal with the fur ball 24/7!"

"Naruto, you know?" Iruka asked astonished. Naruto nodded towards his teacher.

"Enough! Die Kyuubi boy!" Mizuki yelled throwing the large shuriken on his back. Naruto was ready to block it but Iruka jumped in front of him and took the blow himself. Naruto stared wide-eyed at his teacher who was crying openly.

"Don't listen to him Naruto. I never considered you the Kyuubi nor do I hate you. Just go! I'll handle him!"

"Heh, your compassion for that boy will only cause your ultimately demise, Iruka!" Mizuki laughed taking the other large shuriken from his back. Naruto was frozen in place with Iruka still pleading him to run. Just as Mizuki was about to throw the ninja star Hinata and Shikamaru jumped out from the forest weapons at ready.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled when he saw the boy.

"Iruka-sensei too!" Hinata said looking at the man.

Mizuki's eye twitched. The bugs just kept on coming. He turned towards the two genin who had just appeared and smiled.

"Watch as I hack your friends to pieces!" Mizuki yelled as he launched the shuriken at the two. Their kunai could not block the weapon coming straight for them. They didn't have enough time to get away either.

Naruto snapped out of his trance at that moment and catapulted himself towards his friends coming in the direct path of the shuriken. Naruto closed his eyes as he waited for the cold steel to rip through his skin. He would have no regrets if he died protecting his friends.

"**You really are pathetic, kit."**

Naruto's eyes shot open. Time seemed to slow down. Everything. The shuriken stopped moving, his friends froze, and Naruto seemed to feel stuck in the air. A tingling sensation began to build up inside him. It was an unknown feeling, and yet familiar at the same time.

"**You're so pathetic I have to do it for you, I have save you for you, I have to make you realize what you are for you, I have to do EVERYTHING for you. All because you're to stupid to figure it out for yourself, you pathetic human."**

"What are you talking about?"

"**You are so dense." **The Kyuubi chuckled. **I'll show you your true power!"**

The sensation Naruto felt started to build up until every part of his body felt tingly. He felt something trying to push itself out of his body. Trying to find a way out of his body. Naruto closed his and yelled as blue chakra erupted from his body and formed a wall in front of him and his friends.

"**Chakra Screen!"**

The shuriken hit the screen of chakra and shattered on impact. Mizuki watched in astonishment and the weapon was broken without leaving so much as a dent in the wall of blue. The chakra dispersed and faded away leaving Naruto glaring at Mizuki. If looks could kill Mizuki would already have been in hell.

"Attacking my teacher and my friends, are you?" Naruto smirked cracking his knuckles. Mizuki stepped back in fear. The killing intent was thick in the air. "You know, your going to be dead ten seconds from now." Naruto said making some hand signs.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto roared as hundreds of clones appeared. They all ran towards the frightened Chunin. Mizuki's scream could be heard across the land as a rain of fists descended upon him.

A few seconds later the clones disappeared and Naruto helped his bleeding sensei up. Shikamaru walked over and inspected Mizuki's blue, black, and bleeding body.

"You didn't kill him." Shikamaru stated picking up the discarded scroll.

"Eh, what the authorities are going to do to him is far worse than anything I could have provided." Naruto winked at his friend. The Nara shook his head.

"Naruto, you…"

"Not now, sensei." Naruto said. "We need to get you to a doctor." Iruka smiled at his student. The fighting he had displayed was amazing, if not somewhat gruesome. He had really grown.

"The ANBU are here." Shikamaru said as the animal-masked ninja appeared before them. Neji also appeared with Hiashi and a few Hyuuga clan members.

"Hiya genius. Mind helping me with this?" Naruto asked. Neji rushed over to help Naruto support Iruka. Shikamaru walked over to Hiashi and placed the large scroll in his hands.

"You know what to do with this right?" Shikamaru said before walking towards his comrades.

"So your Lord Hiashi." Naruto said as a group of medic nin took the injured Iruka away. "I've heard a lot about you from Hinata and the genius."

"You must be Naruto Uzumaki." Hiashi said bowing. "My wife, daughter, and nephew have told me much about you as well."

"Oh? So you must think I'm an absolute angel." Naruto smiled.

"It's true when they say you are quite the joker." Hiashi chuckled. "I commend you for your efforts, Uzumaki Naruto." He turned to Shikamaru. "You must be Shikamaru." The boy nodded. "So this is the lazy boy Hinata told me about? He looks different than I imaged." Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched and Naruto laughed. Neji coughed trying to keep himself from laughing.

"Lord Hiashi, the ANBU have taken the criminal into custody and there seems to be no one else around. What will you have us do?" A Hyuuga asked to his leader. The others waited for an answer.

"Report this to the elders and return home. I'm sure the ANBU will inform the Hokage of this." Hiashi replied.

"Sir!" The Hyuuga's disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hiashi scanned the area.

"Where's my daughter?"

"On the ground passed out." Shikamaru said pointing his thumb behind him. "She almost got sliced in two by a giant shuriken. She fainted from the shock."

"Oh, Hinata." Hiashi sighed. Naruto also sighed. He had had a rough night and he wanted to go back the Hyuuga clan house and sleep.

"Hello people!"

Of course, things never went as planned for the demon container.

Anko jumped down and looked around. She put her hands behind her head and sghed. "What? The hunt is over already?" She pouted. "That's no fun. I almost had the little bastard too." She then noticed her slaves in front of her. She waved to them. "Hi." Naruto and Shikamaru raised their hands in acknowledgement and sighed. Just what they needed. They could smell the alcohol from here.

"Anko." Hiashi nodded picking up his daughter. "Aren't you supposed to be at the meeting?"

"I was going to it, but then I decided to go for a drink before I got there." Anko shrugged. "After that I saw Mizuki being chased by the ANBU and so I joined the fray. I got lost for a while cause the forest kept on spinning but I'm okay now cause it's back to normal and the crook was caught. It's a shame I don't get to torture him though."

Everyone looked at the woman like she had two heads. She shrugged and started to walk away. "I've got a meeting to go to now anyway." She made a few hand signs and looked towards Naruto. The look on her face sent chills down his spine. "Beware brat. Tomorrow you're going to die from exhaustion." She disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

Hiashi shook his head and turned towards Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji. "Let's head back. The sun is going to rise soon."

Naruto growled. Another… sleepless… night… joy. He trudged back to the Hyuuga house with his friends knowing there was no chance for sleep now. How he hated his life.

X.X.X

Sarutobi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi all sat around Iruka's hospital bed with academy instructor in it. Iruka scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry about this guys." Iruka said sheepishly.

"It's no problem, Iruka. Sarutobi smiled. They had all gotten together to organize the teams they would have. They had originally planned to meet in the hokage's office but since Iruka was unable to move currently they held the meeting in the hospital room.

"I've already organized the teams as I see fit." Sarutobi announced. "Kakashi, you will have Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Asuma, you will have Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji. And Kurenai, you will have Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. Is there any questions or protests against this?"

"Yes there is!" Anko yelled as she burst through the door. Everyone but Kakashi seemed astonished by her entrance.

"Anko! Where were you today?" Sarutobi asked. "I was waiting at my office all day. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to be a sensei this year!" Anko announced. Everyone looked at her surprised. Except Kakashi.

"Is that so?" The gray-haired nin asked flipping a page in his book.

"Yep." Anko said. "I want the brat, the mouse, and the punk to be my students!"

"Who?" Asuma asked.

"Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru." Anko said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But Anko, don't you have to run the Chunin exams?" Kurenai asked.

"Screw that! It's no fun. I want to be a sensei!" Anko said childishly.

"Anko, we've already made the teams, and who would run the second Chunin exam test?" Sarutobi asked.

"Kurenai will!"

"I will?"

"Come on." Anko pleaded. She and Kurenai were best friends so she was hoping Kurenai would be nice and let her. The genjutsu specialist thought it over before smiling.

"I don't mind."

"Thank you, Kurenai!" Anko said enveloping her friend in a warm hug. She pulled away from her and took out a list from her coat pocket. "I already got some team suggestions."

Sarutobi smiled at Anko. Once she had her mind set on something there was no changing her mind.

"Alright. I'll allow it."

"Thank you Hokage-sama!" Anko said also hugging him.

"Is she allowed to do that?" Iruka asked Asuma.

"Only when she's drunk." Kakashi said.

X.X.X

A/N: Finally! What'd you think? I personally thought this chapter wasn't half bad.

Well, there you have it. This chapter was the chapter where I'd put many things into play and the story can go many ways at this point. My head is threatening to explode from ideas. Naruto has been given a new power and Neji finally trusts him. What was with that other boy in the Kyuubi's cage? All will be revealed… eventually.

I'll finally be able to do the big things after the next chapter. It's pretty much decided that Anko is going to Naruto's sensei. Also, it's pretty much revealed what Naruto's secret is and what was with that attack he used against Mizuki. But, for you retards who haven't figured it out I'll tell you in the next chapter.

I kinda want to have Shikamaru be with someone so I want suggestions and votes. Shikamaru/Temari, Shikamaru/Ino, Shikamaru/Tayuya, it doesn't really matter but some are preferred over others.

Review this story. If already reviewed, review again! If you must criticize me be constructive. I'm always looking for improvement. Spread the word and have people read my story.

Anywho, read and review. (Or I'll blow up your house)

Kiiam


	6. Bloodline and a birthday

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I'm not dead and I'm back after a long delay. Sorry about the long wait. I've been busy with a lot of things lately and I had a short writers block… again. Things have been rough with projects I put off, chores, studying, and other crap I hate and I just haven't had time to write this story. Ideas have been coming and going and it took me a lot of time to decide what I should do. To make up for the wait this chapter is relatively longer than my other chapters so I hope it will satisfy you readers who I hope kept faith in this fic. I'll try to make more time to write more chapters but I won't make any promises. The next chapter should take less time to upload than this one did though. Anywho sorry for the wait and here's chapter six. Enjoy.

**Chapter 6**

Live as your own man… now why in the hell had he said that?

Naruto was deep in thought about what he had said to Neji up on top of the roof. What he had said, in a sense, made him somewhat of a hypocrite.

The demon container hadn't once in his life lived how he wanted to live. Never once was he his own man. Naruto thought he was stupid for saying such a thing now. Everyday of his life he had listened to the Kyuubi nonstop only doing what the fur ball told him to do. Only recently had he broken away from the fur ball but was now serving under a new ruler to whom he loathed more than the Kyuubi. Naruto wanted to do what he wanted and not what others told him to do. It's just… he didn't know what he wanted to do.

Shikamaru had asked him that question once. His response had been to be the hokage. That would be nice, but it wasn't what Naruto wanted. Naruto had no idea what he wanted.

That question turned into an annoying buzzing in Naruto's head that he couldn't get rid of. There was something missing. Something that made up who he was. His reason to exist.

Neji had said that his reason to exist was to protect the Hyuuga clan until the day he died. Naruto wanted to change that but when he thought about it he had no idea how he would. He didn't know his own reason for existence so how could he help another person with theirs?

That aside, another thing was also bothering Naruto. That battle with Mizuki had triggered something, not something bad as it did save his life, but the feeling that had overcome him had been foreign and an unwelcome experience for him. The feeling felt familiar somehow as though he had experienced it before, but the fact was he had never once had felt that feeling in his life. That… that chakra building itself up and suddenly releasing itself from his body had put both stress and relief on the boy. The feeling was unexplainable. Naruto decided to ask the old man hokage about it tomorrow. If anybody knew anything about what he had experienced it would be the old geezer.

Of course, there was one last thing that bothered him: What had transpired in his mindscape the night before. The Kyuubi had been acting more sadistic and lively than usual and he seemed to know something that Naruto didn't. He also knew the fur ball had something to due with his chakra overflowing like it did. Naruto wanted answers, but alas, he could not get them.

As much as he wanted to ask the Kyuubi about what had happened he was afraid of facing the fox demon because of what had happened. There was that boy… that boy… was he even a boy? The whatever it was Naruto saw inside the Kyuubi's cage had scared him out of his wits and was afraid the kid was wandering somewhere in his mind. The last thing Naruto wanted was to run into that nightmare. The boy looked like the essence of evil itself and his scary looks backed that description up. When he had looked him in the eyes it was like feeling thousands of tiny knives prick and poke at your skin and the all of a sudden plunge into him all at once keeping you alive despite the deathly and painful feeling. That surprisingly did not bother Naruto much. What had bothered him the most was that the boy had looked just like him.

Oh well, Naruto would deal with all of this later. Today was the day he would get his new team and meet his new sensei.

Naruto sat up in his temporary bed and looked around. He was still in Hinata's room and he was the only one in it. His friends had already gotten out of bed it seemed. Naruto stretched and looked at the calendar near Hinata's bed. He arched an eyebrow at the smiley face drawn on October 8, today. At least she knew when there would be a special day. Naruto then felt something click in the back of his head. Was he forgetting something? He looked at the calendar intently for a minute. He sighed a minute afterward.

"My birthday." Naruto said looking at the red circle around the date October 10. It was also the day of Yondaime's sacrifice for the village.

Naruto didn't particularly like his birthday.

X.X.X

Naruto stumbled down the hallway still in a state of drowsiness. As he got closer to the kitchen and dining room he could hear Lee's shouts and the sounds of the cooks at work. The demon container slid open the slider door ready to eat some food.

"NARUTO-KUN!"

The mentioned sighed and sidestepped avoiding Rock Lee's flying kick. The exuberant ninja quickly got back up and saluted the blond.

"Good move, Naruto-kun." Lee commented. "You must always be on your guard. I will follow your example!" Naruto glared at his friend. He did not need this first thing in the morning.

He trudged over to the table and sat between Shikamaru and Tenten as a plate of pancakes was set before him.

"Where's my ramen?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"Ramen isn't a breakfast." Shikamaru said taking a bite out of his own breakfast. Naruto shrugged and started eating his meal.

"Looking forward to finding out who's team you'll be on?" Neji asked the blond from across the table.

"Yes." Naruto replied with a full mouth. Shikamaru hit him on the head almost causing the boy to choke.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Yes, mom." Naruto mocked. Both of them chuckled. They suddenly heard a beeping noise.

"What's that?" Hinata asked.

"My watch." Tenten said tapping her wrist. "Lee, Neji and I have a mission this morning and I don't want to be late. Sensei always gets mad whenever we're late."

"We've never met your sensei before now that I think of it." Naruto said thoughtfully. "What's he like?"

Lee smiled striking a pose. "He is the kindest, coolest, strongest-

"You'll laugh when you see him." Tenten giggled interrupting Lee. "I know I did."

"Tenten! You shouldn't-

"Let's go." She said pushing Lee out of the kitchen. Neji followed silently afterward.

"Laugh when I see him, huh?" Naruto said mostly to himself finishing off his meal. He got up from his seat. "Let's go guys." His friends nodded also finished with their meals. It was time to head to the academy.

X.X.X

Naruto paid no attention to his fellow classmates as they talked in their various groups about whose team they'd be on, who they would like as teammates, and what their sensei would be like. The blond did not care whose team he was on as long as his friends were in it. Over the past few days he had gotten to know a few of his classmates who Shikamaru and Hinata had introduced him to.

Sasuke was a guy without out much to say, he did all his talking with his fists. The boy had a natural talent for fighting and seemed to be a child prodigy as most called him. Though he knew that the stoic teme had done an ample amount of training in order to get those skills, but no where near to the torture he was put through. Kiba was the complete opposite of the Uchiha as he was always talking and always full of energy. He was like an animal, which was probably why he could relate to them so well. His dog, Akamaru, was his partner of course. Shino, however, was the opposite of Kiba and alike Sasuke when it came to speaking. The boy hardly ever spoke but he was knowledgeable and very strong. Chouji was a fatass who loved to eat. Though he did not seem quite strong to Naruto he has a determined fire in his eyes and has a good personality. Sakura and Ino were just more fangirls to Sasuke to which the mentioned disliked them both. Though annoying, Naruto found Sakura to be a smart girl and Ino not bad to look at. They might become good ninja but when he saw the way they fawned over Sasuke that theory seemed highly doubtful.

Though he didn't show it, Naruto was actually quite nervous. He wondered what kind of missions he would take on and what dangers there would be. Sure he'd no doubt only be allowed to take low level missions but that would change as he grew older and more skilled.

As he looked around Naruto also got an idea of how his companions were feeling. Shikamaru slept lazily next to him. He didn't seem worried. Hinata was twiddling her fingers nervously but had a determined look in her eye. Sasuke sat in his seat patiently with the slightest bit of eagerness showing. Sakura and Ino were sitting on opposite sides of him talking to him about being on the same team and stuff. The teme was trying his best to ignore them. Shino was sitting quietly next to Chouji who was stuffing a bag of crisps into his mouth again. Looking closer, Naruto noticed that the Shino was reading a book about bugs and five empty bags of chips next to Chouji. The two were using other things to quell their nervousness Naruto guessed.

The demon container's thoughts were interrupted as an ANBU man walked into the classroom. He wore a tiger shaped mask and had a piece of paper in his hand. He looked up at the genin graduates who looked confused as to why there was an ANBU here instead of Iruka-sensei.

"Hello children." Tiger-face said. "Your sensei is sick in bed with an illness and because of this I will be subbing as your teacher today. Your sensei had taken the liberty of writing down instructions for me to follow. I will begin with some announcements and then tell you which teams you will have."

'_Just sick my ass.' _Naruto thought. _'Last I saw him he was on the ground bleeding with a giant shuriken in his spine. He's probably sleeping in some hospital bed. Lucky bastard.'_

"As you should all be aware of, the Yondaime festival will be held the day after tomorrow. You all are looking forward to the festivities that will be held before the ceremony of blessing. I expect you all to partake in the ceremony as attendance is mandatory."

Naruto rolled his eyes. To him, it was restricted to demon containers. It was the truth. He had gone to the festival once when he was five but that turned out to be one huge mistake. As it was obvious by now, the majority of the villagers detested him and he was almost beaten to death the minute he set foot in the festival grounds. If the hokage had not been there to stop the villagers Naruto would have gotten a nasty beating. Ever since then Naruto had been content with staying at home, sleeping, and if fireworks were held he would go to the crook tree, sit on the branches, and watch the midnight sky illuminate with the exploding flowers. It was what he was also planning to do this year.

"You should all know that there will also be amusements and food so you will not be bored. You will all be expected to turn in by eleven as that is the time when the adults will partake their own private activity."

"Beer fest." Shikamaru whispered beside him. "My mom's always wiped when she comes home from the celebrations. She reeks of alcohol by then." Naruto let out a silent chuckle.

"That was the only announcement I was told to give." Tiger-face said. "I will now give you your teams."

Tiger-face pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket. The mask looked down at the list for and then looked up again.

"Team seven will consist of Uchiha, Sasuke- Haruno, Sakura- and Shino, Aburame and your sensei will be Hatake, Kakashi." Sakura gave a squeal of delight while Ino gave a growl of dissatisfaction. Shino sat in his seat looking as distant as ever. Sasuke also sat quietly in his seat but Naruto could've sworn he saw the stoic boy's eye twitch. He understood, he had a fangirl as one teammate and the other had less of a personality than a block of wood.

"Team eight will consist of Uzumaki, Naruto-

Naruto leaned forward slightly. He crossed his fingers praying silently to be paired with his friends.

"Hyuuga, Hinata-

Please, c'mon…

"And Nara, Shikamaru."

Naruto smiled. Beside him he heard Hinata sigh in relief and smile from happiness and excitement. Shikamaru sat opposite to him also smiling. Guess good things did happen to him sometimes.

"Your sensei will be Mitarashi, Anko."

Naruto's smile disappeared. No. Freaking. Way. His friends had similar reactions but Hinata's expression was one of surprise and not dread like the two boys. A bad thing happens for every good thing. Was this how karma worked? Son of a bitch.

"Team ten will consist of Inuzuka, Kiba- Yamanaka, Ino- and Akimichi, Chouji. Your sensei will be Sarutobi, Asuma." Tiger-face continued to talk and name other teams but Naruto slumped back in his chair ignoring him.

What the hell? He had the bitch as a teacher? He distinctly remembered the woman telling him that she ran the second test of the Chunin Exams. Why was she an instructor? Oh well. It couldn't be any worse than what she was already putting them through could it?

The rest of the class period went on like any other one would; Naruto and Shikamaru sleeping, everyone else listening. Tiger-face eventually got to the end of the lesson.

"Your sensei's have all given me notice forms for each of you telling you where to meet for your final test."

"More testing, great." Naruto muttered.

Tiger-face handed out the papers and dismissed the class. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata went to where Anko's note told them to go though it was more like a map than naming a specific place. They eventually showed up at the entrance to a large forest. The gate in front of them extended in directions left and right with no end in sight. A whistle from above caught their attention. Anko waved at them from a tree and hopped down to meet them. She smiled at each of them.

"Hey guys! Welcome to your first day of training under me!" Anko chirped.

"We've been training under you for quite a while now." Naruto sighed.

"I met first day of training with me as your real instructor, brat." Anko said. She took on a more serious look. "However, since I am your sensei now I can't play around like I used to. Since you three are now officially my responsibility your training will get a lot more serious."

"You think it wasn't serious enough." Shikamaru asked arching an eyebrow.

"No. We'll be going on missions now and will have to partake in training that will better prepare you guys for them. The life of a ninja is dangerous and you guys can make no mistakes."

Naruto was quite surprised at this new attitude the purple-haired drunk had taken on. It sure was better than her constant yelling.

"This is the Forest of Death and don't take it's name lightly cause it got that name for a reason." Anko said pointing behind her. "In there I've hidden a carrier scroll and I want you three to find it. Depending on how well you handle the situation will determine whether this 'test' will take a few hours or a few days to complete. Be cautious though. I've used up a lot of chakra summoning snakes in that forest and its covered with them. Good luck, and I'll see you guys when you're done." With that Anko disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

"Well this shouldn't be too hard, right?" Naruto said. "After all, we got the-

"And no Byakugan!" Anko's voice rang out.

"Never mind."

The trio cautiously entered the forest but broke out in a sprint thereafter. They scanned the place thoroughly but found no trace of the carrier scroll. This was made even more difficult as the many trees and branches limited their vision and prevented seeing things far ahead. After an hour or so the group stopped to rest. Naruto groaned in frustration.

"Dammit, how hard is it to find one scroll!"

"W-Well, it's a big forest Naruto-kun." Hinata said.

Naruto ignored her comment. "Hey, Shikamaru. Got a plan?"

The lazy boy sat up rubbing his eyes.

"You fell asleep? In two minutes?"

"Yeah, it was good."

"Whatever, got a plan?"

Shikamaru sighed a closed his eyes; he reopened them a minute or so later. "We have to look for a carrier scroll, right?" Naruto and Hinata nodded. "Anko said that there would be lots and lots of snakes right? So far, we have encountered none." One nod from his companions. "My guess would be that the scroll is somewhere where a large cluster of snakes would be so they could guard the scroll. If we can find any traces of snakes we may find the scroll. I don't have much information to work with so this is my best guess."

"It would make sense though." Hinata said thoughtfully.

"I'm sticking to that plan." Naruto said. "Anything that gets me out of here and to the Ichiraku quicker."

"Yeah." Shikamaru agreed as he heard his stomach growl. "Let's just keep searching until we find a snake."

The group continued their search only this time they were looking for a snake and not the scroll. They eventually came to a boundary. A very large and strange looking boundary.

"What's that?" Hinata asked.

"Who knows." Naruto said as he walked up and touched the surface of the wall. The wall felt very weird, but familiar somehow. It was kind of smooth but also rough. He was sure he felt something like this. As he looked closer he noticed the wall had patterns on it and looked like it had a scaly surface that…

'_Shit.' _Naruto cursed mentally.

"Naruto! Back up!" Shikamaru yelled also figuring out what the "wall" actually was.

It was too late however for the giant snake had already wrapped its lengthy body around the blond. Dozens of other smaller snakes dropped from above and started attacking Shikamaru and Hinata. Naruto tried to pull himself out of the snake's tight grasp but couldn't get loose. His friends were having trouble as they were literally being crushed by the dropping snakes. Naruto made a few hand signs. He had wanted to save this but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Naruto yelled making hundreds of Naruto clones. "Get me out of here and help them!" The original yelled. The clones nodded and started pulverizing the various snakes that launched at them. With the help of his clones Naruto was able to wiggle out of the snake's loosened grasp. It would've be harder to get free if some clones weren't punching out the giant reptile's eyes right now. The snakes all disappeared in puffs of smoke for every fist that came into contact with they're bodies. Eventually, all the snakes were gone. Naruto helped his friends to his feet.

"Why didn't you use that earlier?" Shikamaru asked with a tint of annoyance.

"Too much work." Naruto shrugged. "Uses a lot of chakra."

"How troublesome."

"Hey! Look what I found!"

The trio turned to find a Naruto clone bounding towards them. He had a small snake clutched in his hand. The small reptilian was making a strange squealing sound in protest of being grabbed. The snake also had something on its back that looked like…the carrier scroll!

"So this little guy had it, huh?" Naruto said yawning.

"No wonder it was so hard to find." Hinata said. "I would have never thought it was on one of the summons."

"Unhand me this instant!" The snake squealed. The group looked a snake with shocked expressions.

"What the hell? These things can talk?" Naruto asked astonished.

"Anko! Anko! Where are you? Make them let me go!" The snake cried. Naruto's eye twitched. Its cries were really annoying.

"Let go of Heine guys." Said a voice from above. The three, or four if you count the clone, looked upwards to she their sensei sitting on one of the branches. She hopped down snatching the snake, Heine, from the Naruto clone and dispelling it by punching it in the face. Heine regained his composure and hissed at the three genin.

"How dare you treat me like that! I am a direct descendant of Manda! How dare you!" Heine hissed. "I will kill you!"

"Simmer down, Heine." Anko sighed. "They didn't even hurt you."

"They might have." Heine mumbled.

Anko sighed again and unwrapped the string holding the scroll and taking it in her hands. Heine slithered up Anko's arm and around her neck making him look like a scaly, live necklace. He regarded the still shocked genin with a cold eye. Anko soon noticed the bewildered expressions of her students.

"What's wrong?"

"How can that thing talk?" Naruto asked. "And they have names? Seriously, did you drug me while I was sleeping or something?"

"You disrespectful twit!" Heine yelled.

"All summons can talk." Anko said as if was the most obvious thing in the world. "You didn't know that?" She looked down at the hissing snake. "So, how'd they do?"

Heine stopped complaining and took on a thoughtful expression. "The timing was good. The strategy was okay, and overall they did a good job." Heine answered.

"Who needs the most work?"

"The girl, sadly to say." The snake said shaking his head. "It seems she made no contribution to this mission and didn't put up much of a fight when the guys dropped down." Hinata bowed her head in embarrassment.

"Hey! She couldn't use her Byakugan!" Naruto countered in Hinata's defense. "If she could've used that we would've found you a lot sooner and we'd be done already!"

"Shut up!" Heine hissed. "When you guys go on missions there will always be a chance you'll be separated or one of you temporarily out of the count. Who's to say the person passed out won't be the girl, hm? You'll need to learn to live without it and she to do her part without it!" Naruto looked away. The small snake sure was harsh.

"Alright then, thanks for helping me with this." Anko smiled.

"No problem." Heine said. "See you soon." The snake disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Where'd he go?" Naruto asked.

"Back home." Anko answered.

"What was in the scroll, sensei?" Hinata asked a little downcast at Heine's words.

Anko made a hand sign and something appeared in her in her hand. The object was…

"My wallet!" Anko chirped. Hinata stared while Naruto and Shikamaru looked at her with twitching eyebrows.

"All that…for your wallet." Shikamaru said.

"Yep." Anko said. "Though you can't tell through the thickness of this forest it's already five and the sun is starting to set. If you guys completed the mission I would treat you to dinner using money in this." She indicated her wallet. "If you hadn't completed it, YOU would have had to treat ME to dinner using your own money." She sighed holding up her hands. "I have to say I won't be getting dinner for free today, but I'm glad you guys did so well. Welcome to the life of a Shinobi kids!"

The three managed small smiles. Though the mission had been boring and useless it felt good to have someone say what Anko said. It made them feel happy.

"So, where do you guys want to eat?" Anko asked.

Hinata and Shikamaru sighed after seeing Naruto smile. The boy couldn't have cared less. He was going to try his best to empty Anko's wallet all in one night.

X.X.X

Naruto patted his stomach and let out a satisfied burp. Shikamaru and Hinata shook their heads. They could understand why Anko had left so early, she had made a huge mistake by offering to pay for dinner and an even bigger mistake of letting Naruto choose Ichiraku's as the place to eat. Naruto had to pay for his last seven bowls himself after Anko refused to pay anymore after his ninth one. The three were now heading to Shikamaru's house. The boy said he had to get home quick to finish chores or his mom would kill him. They had bid the lazy boy off and said they would meet at the crook tree tomorrow. Naruto and Hinata were now walking towards the Hyuuga girl's house. She had protested with a blush when Naruto had offered to walk her home but he said a girl shouldn't be wandering around at night without protection. Hinata had giggled and said he sounded just like one of her bodyguards. The two were quietly walking beside one another basking in a comfortable silence. Naruto looked over to the Hyuuga heiress and noticed she seemed a little down. Was it from what Heine said earlier?

"What's wrong Hin?" Naruto asked. "Ya seem a little down.

"Huh? Oh, n-no I'm not. What gave you that idea, Naruto-kun?" Hinata said managing a fake laugh.

"Right…anyone ever tell you that you're a horrible liar?"

Hinata sighed. "I…do feel a little depressed, to tell the truth.

"Is it about what Heine said earlier?" Naruto asked also sighing.

"Well…"

"Don't listen to what he said." Naruto said. "I'm sure he would quickly change his mind if he saw what kind of training your willing to go through."

"Naruto-kun?"

"Honestly Hinata, in our group of three I think I'm the one who needs the most work." Naruto said. "You're a lot more determined to do this than I am, and even though Shikamaru is reluctant, he finishes the training faster and more efficiently than I do. He's smarter, and you're probably stronger."

"Naruto-kun…that's not true."

"It's not fair." Naruto said making a slight pout. "I've been doing this for years and you guys are already better than me." Hinata giggled at his expression.

"I'm not better. Naruto-kun is a lot-

"Drop with the –kun crap. I don't like it." Naruto said pouting more. "Call me Naruto, okay? Na-ru-to."

"But-

"Naruto."

"Naruto-ku-

"Naruto!"

"Naruto." Hinata said also pouting.

"That's better." Naruto smiled. "Oh, Shikamaru says to stop using –kun on him too. It also annoys him."

"Alright."

They walked for a little while longer, both saying nothing. The Hyuuga girl was smiling enjoying the company while Naruto seemed to be deep in thought about something. He sighed.

"Something wrong Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Say, Hinata, there's something I've been meaning to say to you, or rather, ask you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I- Hey, we're here." Naruto said looking up at the large Hyuuga mansion in front of him. He turned towards Hinata. "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright then." Hinata nodded before opening the large door. "Good night, Naruto-kun."

"Stop that."

"Good night, Naruto." Hinata giggled before closing the door.

"Good night." The blond called hoping she would hear. He yawned. "Time to sleep…yay." He made a few hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

X.X.X

Shikamaru threw himself on his bed discarding his jacket and let it fall into a wrinkled heap on the floor. He sighed in contentment as he felt the softness and warmth of his bed and sheets.

"SHIKAMARU!" Came a voice downstairs.

The boy groaned. "Yeah, mom?" He called back.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes."

"Did you hang up your clothes?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to have to come up there!"

"Fine, fine."

His mom knew him all too well. She knew he would never clean up after himself unless she had a threat to back it up. He was too lazy for his own good. He got up and hung his jacket up on his door hanger before plopping back on the bed. His mom was such a neat freak.

Most would think the lazy boy would fall asleep right there as he so often does. But he didn't. He could hear the television on and his mother's shouting voice. The Nara boy stayed awake for another hour or so until he could no longer hear his parents. He got up and made his way over to his desk. His opened a drawer and pulled out a night-light. A small night-light. He walked over to the outlet near his bed and plugged it in. He smiled slightly as the bulb started to glow. Shikamaru slipped back into his bed and closed his eyes.

Shikamaru had had that night-light since he was five. Since then he had always been afraid of the dark. This, people found hard to believe as he uses the darkness as a weapon. Shikamaru didn't think that was true. He used shadows as a weapon. The shadows actually comforted him. The outline of his own body gave him the feeling a good friend was watching over him. Darkness was bad. It always swallowed things up.

Black or white. It's how he saw things. Maybe that's because he liked clouds so much. So big, white, and free. Black, the color of darkness, despair, loss, pain. He saw black when he was hurt. He saw white when he was happy. Silly, maybe, but that's how Shikamaru thought.

His father had felt the same way. His mom had just laughed at him when he brought it up. His dad had understood. Shikamaru's father had said all Nara's fear the darkness in some way, but we have to control it. We have to find the light in shadows.

Most would laugh at something ridiculous like that. It sure sounded ridiculous. The darkness can spread, but so can the light.

"The more my shadow spreads, the more light I can see." Shikamaru mumbled. His dad's words. Foolish words, most would say. Shikamaru, however, took those words to heart. Ironic thing was, he didn't know what those words meant.

Shikamaru's night-light glowed enough so he could see his own shadow. He waved at the dark replica. It waved back. Being assuaged by this somehow, the shadow manipulator fell asleep.

X.X.X

Naruto lied in his bed flipping through the pages of the yellow autobiography. Came to the page were all the ninja techniques were. He found the two he had underlined previously and reread the description. Naruto sighed. He outstretched his hand and made the palm side face him. He looked at the tips of his fingers. He tried his hardest to concentrate his chakra to the tips of his fingers but it just wouldn't work. The demon container sighed again.

He had been thinking about this for quite a while and thought he'd try it. He didn't know for sure it would work but he tried anyway. The blond had had his suspicions the minute he pulled of that crazy move that had saved his and his friends' lives… Chakra Screen, was it?

Naruto had a feeling so he looked up the move in the small yellow book. He found it and it wasn't just by coincidence. That move was unique… no one should have been able to pull it off… but he did. Was he part of the Unamekei? Possible? Maybe. True? Wasn't sure.

Naruto took a deep breath. He held up his hand again and tried his best to build and focus his chakra. He needed a _feeling_. A feeling he couldn't describe. That feeling, that sensation, is what he had felt when he had unleashed Chakra Screen. The blond also knew the attack came from his chakra building up, coming together, and then releasing itself all in one burst. It had felt… good. Naruto focused. Focused real hard. He shut his eyes, straining to feel that sensation again.

Then it happened. He felt a spark go off within his body. It was something hard to notice but he had felt it. Naruto concentrated harder trying to build the sensation. He could feel the chakra channeling through every part of his body. The sensation built. He focused all the chakra he could to the tips of his fingers.

There was the sensation. It wasn't as large as last time but the demon container could distinctly feel it. He opened his eyes to see and liquid and gassy like substance coming out of his fingers. His chakra. The blue chakra started molding and sharpening itself until they were sharp, deadly pointers on each of Naruto's fingers. The sensation didn't go away. It was faint now but still there. Naruto stared at his fingers for a while just looking. Then the sensation started to disappear and the Chakra Claws, as the book called them, with it. Naruto didn't mind. He was, afterall, the one who let go of the chakra in the end. When he let go of it he wasn't surprised that his new manicure went with it.

Naruto laid back on his pillow. He was also positive now, but he needed conformation. He'd ask the old man tomorrow. He'd show him what he could do. If it was true, there was no way the old man would ever deny it.

"I just may be the last of a clan…the Unamekei." Naruto whispered to himself. He fell asleep.

X.X.X

Kakashi flipped a page in his book tuning out Anko's yelling, but still listening to what the rest of his friends were saying. They had all gone out tonight, partly because all their student genin had passed their tests and partly because they wanted to have a break. Even though they were ninja, part of the elite, they were still human and needed to fool around every so often… or just let their mind wander and read a perverted novel. This, of course, was only in Kakashi's case.

Anko sat back down after Kurenai and gotten her to calm down. The purple-haired woman ordered another mug of sake and turned her attention towards her friends. She swiped away Kakashi's book in order to get his attention. He rose his eye to her in a lazy way.

"I wasn't finished with that." He said calmly, though he was secretly begging for the book back.

"Stop reading this book for once and be sociable." Anko commanded.

"Can I have it back?"

Anko slipped the book down her shirt and gave the copy nin a seductive look. "Come and get it then."

Kakashi sighed and turned towards the other ninja. "So what do you guys want to talk about?"

"Well, we were just about to talk about how we thought our team did today. Why don't you go first Kakashi?" Asuma smiled.

"Fine." The gray-haired man said. "It took a while but they did it. They all refused to cooperate at the beginning but managed to come up with a plan together in the end. Shino's bugs are scary."

"Where did that come from?" Iruka asked curiously. The man had shown up despite the nasty injury Mizuki gave him. He was on crutches for now, but he managed.

"I'll leave it at that." Kakashi said. Everyone looked at him oddly. "I will say that Shino is very resourceful and smart. He knows how to corner an opponent and take them down. Sakura is also promising despite her attitude sometimes. She was the brains of their little scheme. Sasuke is the most promising. Could become a great shinobi one day. They all work well together." Kakashi looked at Asuma. "Yours?"

"Hm? Ah, well, I think they did a good job. Kiba's got great stamina and energy and is pretty strong. Ino is a little temperamental, but when she's got a level head she can be pretty resourceful. Chouji's a good kid. Not to confident and doesn't have a wide range of attacks, but his determination is limitless. Plus, the other two help him along. They're a pretty good team… although Kiba and Ino get into fights a lot." Asuma added.

"See? What did I tell you?" Anko said smiling. "When I rearranged the teams I made sure each one would work. And look what happened! I'll bet these arrangements are better than what you guys had originally thought up."

"Well, they do work… and I do get some time off." Kurenai said thoughtfully. She had to admit, preparing one exam wasn't as hard as training three genin. It sure as hell took a lot less work. "Could I keep your job permanently Anko?"

"We'll see."

"I don't know, the teams I thought up were pretty good, I thought." Iruka smiled.

"Pssh, c'mon Iru." Anko scoffed rolling her eyes. "Kiba, Shino, and Hinata? You had to be drunk when you came up with that. Those two boys would've definitely NOT have gone well with Hinata."

"Putting that aside," Kurenai said interrupting the starting dispute. "How was your team anyway, Anko."

"They did well." Said Anko becoming more serious. "Shikamaru's got quite a noggin. 'Course I already knew that before. He's a genius. His brain will make up for Hinata's hesitation and the brat's laziness and stupidity."

"Brat?" Asuma asked.

"Naruto." Anko sighed. "He's strong, great stamina, and even greater chakra reserves. Honestly, I didn't even know he had so much in him until today."

"Was it 'his' chakra?" Iruka asked.

"Nope. I'm proud to say it was all his." Anko smiled. Iruka sighed in relief.

"Hinata?" Kurenai asked.

Anko sighed. "She's got great determination, but if she doesn't stop holding back that won't mean much. The little mouse ain't gonna get anywhere if she doesn't toughen up. I plan to fix that by taking some time from the other two and train her so that she'll be tough and lethal."

"Hinata being trained in your art then?" Kurenai asked. "I don't believe it."

Anko smiled. "Hey, she's got the stuff to make a great ninja and great assassin. Plus, it'll help if she kills a few things. She's too soft. But don't worry, I'll get her to come out of that shell."

"Good luck then." Kakashi said. "Can I have my book back now?"

"Sure." Anko took the book out of her shirt and handed it to Kakashi. He eyed it suspiciously.

"That was too easy. What are you planning?"

"You're paying!" Anko chirped. "I already spent enough money today on the brat. You can pay for me. Oh, and pay for the rest of them too, I got to go someplace." The new sensei walked away chuckling and seemed a little off balance. Kakashi looked at the other Jounin and Chunin. He sighed when he saw their smiling faces.

"Fine. It's on me." Everyone cheered.

Anko actually didn't go far. She walked to the very back of the bar and sat down at another table. A man occupied this table and sat across from her. He looked up when he heard someone sit across from him. He looked up to reveal his a tiger-looking mask he was wearing. Anko smiled.

"Hey, Yamato."

The man smiled from beneath the mask. "Hello Anko." He took off his mask and set it beside him. Despite the scary look he had on his face Yamato smiled making things more comfortable.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Yamato asked politely. "It's on me."

"Nah, I'm good. Just had sixteen over there." Anko said pointing in the other sensei's direction. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"So how did your kids do?"

"Good for a first." Anko shrugged. "They'll get much better though. What'd you do?"

"Substituted for Iruka. Class was quiet. Not loud like he described."

"Great. Well, I'm sober now so let's get started, shall we?"

Yamato nodded. He took out a notepad and suddenly the atmosphere grew very tense he tapped the pad with his pencil.

"So, anything?" He asked.

"No." Anko shook her head.

"Did he use the Kyuubi's chakra? No signs of any mutation at all? The seal intact?" Yamato rattled off.

"No demonic chakra, if there was any mutation I would have known, and I didn't ask to see his stomach." Anko laughed. Yamato also chuckled. "But we can be sure that the seal is still intact. It's probably just his powers starting to awaken, nothing more."

"Do you think he'll ask about it?" Yamato asked.

"Knowing him, he probably will." Anko said. "He probably has a hunch already. Last night he got a taste of his bloodline and what it's like. He also probably knows that he's the only one who can do it. Despite his attitude the kid ain't dumb. You saw it too didn't you?" Anko asked in a whisper. Yamato nodded.

"Yes. The Unamekei clan bloodline power. Able to mold and shape chakra and use it for much more things. I'm not sure and I know just as much about the Unamekei as you do."

"I think you can stop watching over him now." Anko said. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

"Sorry, guess I've gotten used to it, huh?" Yamato chuckled. "I've seen him grow. You're lucky, he's a good kid."

"Ha! You don't know him like I do. He's a brat!"

"And you don't know him like I do. He's a good person." Yamato smiled. "I know you think that too."

Anko chuckled. "Yeah, yeah."

"Just be careful okay?" Yamato cautioned taking on a serious look again. "I, Sarutobi-sama, and you I'm sure, deeply care for him, and we won't want anything to happen to him, would we?"

"Of course not." Anko smiled. "Believe it or not, the brat and I have a lot in common. I won't let anything happen to him." Anko rubbed a certain spot on her neck.

"That's good." Yamato smiled. "I have to go now and report this to the hokage."

"Bye."

"Oh, and remember Anko." Yamato added. "If you ever need help…_** I'll be there**_." Yamato finished flashing his infamous petrifying stare of death and talking in a "face your doom" way. Anko scooted to the far end of the table.

"G-Great, s-see you s-s-soon." Anko stuttered. Yamato gave her one more smile and walked away. Anko sighed and glared in his direction.

"No matter how much I prepare, no matter how much I brace myself, and no matter how much I know that it's coming, that face is the only thing that always gets me scared." Anko mumbled.

X.X.X

Naruto awoke to a bright sunny day once again. Once again he heard banging on his door. Once again he was dragged unceremoniously out of his bed and outside where his friends watched in sympathy as Anko dragged him to the crook tree. Once again he blew chucks from the torture he was subjected to. And once again he sat at the Ichiraku ramen stand eating with his friends and new sensei after morning exercises. He's sighed in contentment as he finished off his eighth bowl.

"Perfect, as usual." He smiled. "Another one please!"

"Coming right up!" Ayame called.

Naruto looked around him to find everyone was busy setting things up for the October tenth celebration. The festival in honor of the Yondaime included amusements, food, games, and an opportunity to have a good time. Who would miss it?

Unfortunately, he would have to, again. Naruto always had to do this, lest he wanted to get beaten again by some of the villagers. He'd just sleep, eat, and watch fireworks go off at night. Maybe, a bit of training if he was up for it. The sickening irony of this was that his birthday was also tomorrow and that it was supposed to mean for a boy to do what he wanted on his birthday and party 'till he puked. But alas, he could not party.

"So what do you guys plan to do tomorrow?" Shikamaru asked. Anko, of course, was the first to answer.

"I'm going to participate in a few games with Kurenai and then go to the ceremony." Anko said. "After that, me and the rest of the adults are going to get pissed drunk and have a blast."

"M-My father said he was going to be busy with preparing for the ceremony so Tenten invited me to go with her, Sakura, and Ino to the amusements." Hinata said. After the ceremony I-I was hoping that maybe Naruto and Shikamaru would like to, um, hang out?"

"Me and the guys are just gonna go around and do whatever we feel like. Kiba's idea." Shikamaru said. "But sure, after the ceremony that sounds nice. How 'bout it Naruto?"

"Uh, ah, I'm not going." Naruto mumbled. The other three gasped, well, Shikamaru just raised his eyebrows. Who would miss the greatest time of the year? If they said that he'd just kill himself. Good thing they didn't know it was his birthday either. Still, it was hard to reject them.

"W-Why not?" Hinata asked.

"Um, it's just that… I'm not very comfortable around crowds, y'know?" Naruto said awkwardly. Man, what a lame excuse.

"Bullshit!" Anko shouted. Apparently she agreed with him. "You aren't bothered by stuff like that! Hinata's the shy one, not you." At this, Hinata blushed. "What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing." Naruto said quickly devouring his bowl of ramen. "Look, I gotta go. I'll see you guys later. Gotta meet up with the old man." The blond jumped down from his seat leaving the money on the table. The other three just looked after him.

"Something's up." Shikamaru said thoughtfully biting into his apple.

"What makes you say that?" Hinata asked.

"He didn't have at least twelve bowls, and he actually paid for his food." Shikamaru pointed out. Anko nodded.

"Usually he'd make me or Shikamaru pay for it." Anko said.

"I hope he's okay." Hinata said worriedly.

"Turn down your friends, will you? I'll make sure you go to that festival." Anko muttered to herself.

"What was that Anko-sensei?" Hinata asked.

"I said time for training!" Anko said grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her away from the stand. "I've made a special training session just for you."

"G-Great."

Shikamaru watched them go and then got up. He paid for his and the two girls' food and made his way over to his house. He had chores to do anyway.

X.X.X

The demon container stood in front of the door to the hokage's office. He clutched the yellow book inside his pocket. He wanted answers and he was going to get them. He confidently pushed the doors open and saw the old man looking directly at him.

"Hello, Naruto. Glad you made it." The hokage greeted with a smiled on his face. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him. Did he know he was coming? The hokage got up from his seat and gestured outside. "Let's go to the garden."

"So how'd ya know I was coming, old man?" Naruto asked.

"I had a feeling." Sarutobi smiled.

"Then I just make this quick." Naruto said seriously. He took out the book from his pocket. "There's a reason why you gave me this and I think I know what. Look."

Naruto focused again. Judging by the look on his face he was trying really hard. Sarutobi almost laughed at the expression on Naruto's face. He turned serious when chakra started seeping from Naruto's fingers and turned into sharp claws. He had some explaining to do.

"Why can I do this?" Naruto asked holding his hand out. "I think I know the answer. I just want conformation."

The hokage sighed. "Yes, Naruto, you are the last of the Unamekei Clan."

Naruto also sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You know how they say, 'some things are better left unsaid'?" The hokage smiled. "I felt that saying held its meaning in this situation."

"Still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me." Naruto said.

"I just didn't think you could take it." Sarutobi said softly. "I wanted what was best for you."

"Old man, in case you haven't noticed, my life is a complete hell." Naruto said. "If I can take beatings, tongue lashings, prejudice, and physically torturing myself, I think I can handle this 'last of a clan' crap."

"I suppose so." The hokage chuckled lightly. "You do seem to be taking this better than I thought you would."

"I'm full of surprises, old man." Naruto smirked.

"I suppose so."

"But I do have one question." Naruto said. "Why couldn't I use this power before. I've concentrated chakra many times in the past but nothing like this ever happened. Why?"

"It's is because of the Kyuubi's seal." Sarutobi stated.

"How?"

"You know that the seal suppresses the Kyuubi's chakra, right?" Naruto nodded in response. "Well, we also had to seal away your powers so the Kyuubi couldn't infect your chakra."

"Infect?"

"His chakra is a dangerous and corruptive force Naruto." The hokage nodded sagely. "The Kyuubi could temporarily take control of your chakra and infect it with his own to vent out some of his chakra with your bloodline limit, which as you know, allows you to release chakra, or use it for other purposes. This, in theory, could also give the Kyuubi control over your body for a short period of time, depending on how much chakra is released. We had to seal away your powers along with the Kyuubi's so we could wait until you could control the bloodline yourself while keeping control."

"That's quite a mouthful, old man." Naruto said scratching his head. "So, to prevent the Kyuubi from leaking out his chakra through my power you sealed my powers away until I was skilled or old enough to contain and control my powers and chakra by myself without the Kyuubi interfering."

"Right." The hokage nodded. "Unfortunately, since your powers are just awakening you will have many problems with your chakra control. Learning to contain and control is the key here Naruto."

"It's fine. I saw this coming and came up with a plan." Naruto announced confidently.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"I'm going to get a professional to help me. Someone who knows how to have great chakra control. And I know just the girl for the job."

"Girl?" The hokage asked curiously.

"Hinata." Naruto smiled. "Hyuuga's got great chakra control, as told by the genius, and I'm sure she'll be willing to help a teammate."

"And a friend." The hokage added smiling.

"Friend, teammate, no difference to me." Naruto shrugged.

"What are you going to do for the festival?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "Old man, you know what I do, I do it every year, and you know damn well I don't like to talk about it."

"That's not how the birthday boy should feel." Sarutobi said teasingly.

"Nobody cares." Naruto said in a deadpan voice.

"I do, your friends would, and you know that." The hokage said caringly. "Just try to have a good time. I don't want you to suffer anymore than you already have."

"Too late for that." Naruto sighed. "I'll see you later, 'ight?" Naruto left the office without another word.

The hokage sat back down in his seat and let out a long sigh. He looked out the window with a sad look on his face. "Of course, Naruto, with your powers also being released, so will the Kyuubi's. I just hope you can endure the hardships that will no doubt come your way."

X.X.X

Training that afternoon was more quiet than usual bar Anko's usual yelling and commands. Naruto still felt kind of awkward that he rejected his friends' invite to go to the festival. It would have been nice but Naruto knew better than to go. Still, just once in his life he wanted to have a celebration on his birthday. Nothing big, he just wanted to relax with his friends. But he couldn't. They didn't even know tomorrow was his birthday.

Naruto sat against the tree panting and trying to regain his breath. Shikamaru looked like he had passed out and Hinata was clutching her chest and taking in deep, shaky breaths.

"Alright guys, good work. We'll stop for today." Anko said nodding. She was also feeling a bit tired as well. She had sparred with Hinata before the boys came which was probably why Hinata was already so winded. The little heiress actually had a lot of fight in her.

"I'm giving you guys the day off tomorrow so be grateful and don't get used to it. Kurenai and I have plans before the festival starts and I expect you all to be there." She Naruto a look as did Shikamaru and Hinata. Kami, did he with he could disappear right now. Well, actually he could, but that would be rude. Anko bid them adieu and the three genin were left in an awkward silence. It was getting dark so they each thought they should turn in. Plus, the uncomfortable feeling they each had made them want to leave more. Shikamaru got up and started walking away.

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto turned to his best friend and saw the shadow manipulator looking away and seemed a bit nervous.

"Um, uh, y'know if you change your mind about coming to the festival you can, um, still hang out with me and the rest of the guys… if you want." Shikamaru said awkwardly.

Naruto smiled at the pineapple-headed ninja. "Thanks Shikamaru."

The Nara boy smiled back at him and raised his hand in farewell. "See ya." Indeed, he was a good friend.

"I-I should get going too." Hinata said slowly getting up. "I promised my mother I'd help with dinner and I, um, bye." She started to leave when Naruto grabbed her wrist. Her face turned red at his touch.

"Hinata, there's something I need to talk to you about." Naruto said.

"What is it?"

"That thing I wanted to ask you last night."

"O-Oh."

Naruto sighed and let go of her wrist. "Hinata, will you please train me?"

"Huh?" Hinata asked in bewilderment. She hadn't expected that question.

"Look, I'll explain."

Naruto told her about everything he discussed with the hokage. He also told her about the book the old man had given him and what it was about. He even showed her his Chakra Claw technique and told her about the Unamekei Clan and how he was the last of them. It all ended with Naruto staring at her expectantly and Hinata with a thoughtful look on her face.

"That's quite something." She said simply.

"I plan on telling Shikamaru and the bitch but it can wait for now. So? How 'bout it?" Naruto asked.

Hinata broke out into a smile. "I can't believe you of all people ask for help and from me no less."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever, will you help me or not?"

Hinata pondered this for a while and started giggling to herself.

"Hinata! This is serious." Naruto said in frustration.

"That's Hinata-sensei to you." The heiress declared startling Naruto. She smiled sweetly. "Just kidding."

Naruto smiled back at her. "Thanks." The two began Naruto's training immediately.

X.X.X

Naruto sat down in front of the crook tree. It was still morning and he was still in his pajamas, a white T-shirt and pants with blue stripes on them. He set down a cloth and used a fire jutsu to boil the cup of instant ramen he brought with him. Four other cups lay beside him and were next in line for consuming. Naruto looked up at the clouds and sighed.

"Happy birthday, Naruto." He said quietly to himself. He just wished someone else would say it for once.

He did this every year on this day. He'd go to the hill, lay back on the crook tree, and then eat some ramen. Train a little bit if he was up for it, but that was it. He'd sleep most of the time to catch up on the hours of sleep the Kyuubi had taken away back when he was training him. Everything was the same. Naruto hated it.

The rest of the day went by quickly. It was already dark and Naruto was trudging back to his house after eating three cups of ramen for dinner. He didn't really have that much of an appetite tonight.

Naruto wanted to go to the festival. He really did. But he knew he couldn't. He sighed. Another great birthday. Fourteen years old today and not a single thing changed.

"BRAT!"

Naruto turned around and jumped out of the way just before Anko bowled him over. He looked at her in utter shock. What the hell was she doing here!?

"Thought you could ditch your friends did you?" Anko said in a deadly voice. "Don't be so sure."

"What's your problem?" Naruto growled. "I'm not in the mood today."

Anko threw a black cloak and a mask at him. The mask looked like a tiger. Naruto looked up at Anko curiously.

"Put them on."

"Why would I-

"Put them on!" the assassin said a bit more forcefully. Naruto complied and put them on in a rush.

"Great now come with me." Anko grabbed the boy's hand and dragged him towards the village. Naruto tried to escape but his hand was in a vice grip and her strength helped drag him along. Eventually they came to the outskirts of the festival. Naruto watched in wonder as the many colors and lights lit up the place and the amusements looked like tons of fun. He soon regained his composure and glared at Anko through the mask.

"I said I wasn't gonna go." Naruto said sternly.

Anko sighed. "Look, brat. I know you want to hang out with your friends just as much as they want to hang out with you. You should enjoy yourself instead of sulking all day."

Naruto looked at Anko's expressionless face in shock. Was she… being nice to him?

"The cloak and mask should keep the villagers from recognizing you. Just go out there and have a blast." Anko smiled at him.

Naruto, as hard as he tried not to, broke out into a smile. "Thanks Anko."

"Tch, don't havta get all sappy over it." Anko scoffed turning away. Her expression softened into a delicate smile. Naruto, of course, couldn't see it because her back was facing him.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto." Anko said just above a whisper. Naruto heard it.

"What was that?"

"Oh, uh, I didn't say nothing!" Anko said nervously. "Oh! I think I saw Kurenai in the crowd. See ya, brat and, um, have a good time!" The woman took off towards the festival. _'I'll have to remember to thank Yamato about this. Have a good time, brat.'_

Naruto looked after her and smiled. "Thanks a lot." Maybe Anko wasn't such a bad sensei after all… she was a friend too.

X.X.X

Naruto searched through the crowd looking for his friends. The mask prevented people from recognizing him and some of them even said hello to him. Indeed, the villagers sure acted different when he had another face on. Good thing other kids and adults also had masks on or he would have looked suspicious.

It didn't take long for Naruto to find his friends. The festival had actually just started and Naruto had already guessed where Chouji's stomach would lead the gang. And lo and behold, Naruto found his friends at the snack bar with Chouji gobbling up everything in sight and the rest of the boys taking what was left. Naruto tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and lifted up his mask so the boy could see him. "Miss me?" Naruto smirked.

"Glad you could make it." Shikamaru smiled.

After the boys chatted a little and ate they dived into the festival. They started off with games. Kiba pushed everyone out of the way with Naruto not far behind. Shikamaru, Shino, and Sasuke stayed in the back patiently with Chouji standing in front of them still stuffing his face with some chips he swiped from the snack bars. Kiba won a balloon animal and a stuffed bear for his sister. He also managed to win a squeaky toy for Akamaru at a game stand his mom was running. Shikamaru beat everyone in a shogi tournament that the festival held and was rewarded with a ticket that allowed him and his friends to go on rides without having to pay for a ticket fee. Chouji partook in a pie-eating contest and since he was half way full from eating almost everything at the snack bars he passed out from overeating but still got first place. All the boys had laughed at that saying Chouji passing out from overeating was a sign of the apocalypse. Sasuke actually turned out to have a mild fear of roller coasters and threw up after going on one entitled "The Konoha Hurricane". Shino told a few interesting stories about legends and tales of the Aburame Clan that both spooked and entertained the boys. Kiba brought along some eggs and suggested egging. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino declined and after much coaxing from Kiba and Naruto, Sasuke joined the two in their egg bombing. No one had caught them and they had a blast. Everyone was now sitting on a table near the snack shack talking about training, upcoming missions, girls, and their future goals in life. They all decided it was time to separate, as the ceremony would begin soon. The gang broke off so they could be with their families for the celebration. Naruto walked back his house telling Shikamaru he'd meet up with him before the fireworks went off. Naruto walked down the abandoned streets with his disguise removed from his face. He owed Anko for this one. This was the most fun he had ever had.

The demon container walked to the street whistling happily to himself the night had left him excited and he couldn't wait for the fireworks. They were always gave his birthday that special touch that made him happy when he was disappointed. The fireworks were, in his opinion, the only good thing his birthday included. Naruto suddenly felt a looming presence behind him. He turned to find at least ten men with pans and bats. Naruto grimaced. This was NOT what he needed. There went his smile.

"Think we didn't notice you, you creature from hell!" One man said.

"Trying to ruin our festival by egging the place are you? We'll show you!" A fat one said.

"Your eggs hit my wife and daughter!" Another man said angrily.

"I made sure to hit stands and benches, not people." Naruto sighed. "It was probably that douchbag Kiba. Seriously, he can't aim worth a shit." Kiba had accidentally pegged him during their egg attack. Naruto and taken off the mask so he could clean it. He didn't think anyone had noticed.

"Quiet! Time to teach you your annual lesson you monster!" The first man said advancing towards him. Naruto got in a fighting stance.

Suddenly vines sprang from the ground wrapping around Naruto's attackers and hoisting them high in the air. Other vines snapped their weapons in half leaving them unarmed and helpless. Naruto smiled sadistically as he watched them sway side to side in there grassy traps. The demon container suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped away.

"Whoa! Didn't mean to startle you there, lad."

A friendly looking man stepped out of the shadows and smiled at Naruto he looked up disapprovingly at the struggling men.

"What do you think you guys were doing? I should report this to the hokage." The man said angrily.

"N-No! Don't do that!" The fat man said.

"We'll leave! Just let us down!" Said the first man.

"Very well." The stranger snapped his fingers and the vines slithered back down into to the earth from wince they came. The men ran for their lives completely forgetting about their previous target. Naruto looked up at the kind man.

"Uh, thanks." Naruto said embarrassingly. Why had this stranger saved him? Who was he?

The man bent down and pointed to Naruto's hand. I lost it earlier and I've been looking everywhere for it." Naruto looked at the mask in his hand. The man bent close to Naruto and stared at him in a most petrifying way.

"_**May I please have it back?" **_The man asked in a scary voice.

"Y-Yeah, s-s-sure." Naruto said cautiously handing the mask to its supposed owner.

"Thanks." The man said putting his mask on his face. He started to walk away. He turned back to the blond. "Don't let what happened here stop you from having a good time."

"Uh, okay?" Naruto said uncomfortably.

"Oh, and Happy Birthday, Naruto." The man said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Naruto was shocked for a minute but shook it off. He sure had a lot of surprises tonight. Still, even if he was a stranger, he was glad he had wished him a happy birthday.

X.X.X

Naruto laid on a grass slope overlooking a glistening pond with fireflies hovering above it. The place looked so magical. Sasuke told him about the lake and said it was the place where he had first cast his Katon No Jutsu. The Uchiha said the lake looked beautiful at night and that he should check it out. Naruto sighed in contentment and closed his eyes.

"Hello Naruto." A familiar, melodious voice greeted.

Naruto sat up and turned to see Hinata and Shikamaru standing behind him. Shikamaru looked like Naruto had last seen him just a little sleepier. Hinata was a different story. She was wearing a silky white kimono with silver moons on the sleeves and leg area. She looked beautiful and radiant with it on and seemed like she was glowing. Naruto felt his face grow a little hot. He wondered why.

"The ceremony ended not to long ago." Shikamaru said lying down beside him. "We came looking for you afterwards."

"How did you guys find me?" Naruto questioned.

Hinata pointed to her eyes. "Byakugan."

"Right."

Naruto noticed Hinata was also holding a picnic basket as she sat down next to him. He could smell a few things coming from the little carrier. Tasty things.

"I brought some food for us to share." Hinata said opening the basket. "They're mostly sweets, but I also got a cup of ramen and an apple if you guys want those instead."

"Let's see what sweets you got first, Hin." Naruto said taking a cookie Hinata offered. He took a bite. "Wow! These are great. You cook these Hinata?"

"Yep. I worked hard on them. Would you like your ramen now?" Hinata asked.

"Nah, give me some more cookies please." Naruto said holding out his hand.

"Naruto refusing ramen? The world is coming to an end." Shikamaru chuckled. Naruto dropped a few cookies on the boy's stomach.

"Shut up and eat your cookies." Naruto laughed. Hinata giggled beside him.

Fireworks suddenly burst and flared lighting up the sky with their explosive colors making them look like blooming flowers. The trio watched in amazement as the midnight sky was filled and brightened with every color imaginable.

Naruto smiled. This was the best fireworks display he had ever seen. Maybe he was just exaggerating but with his friends by his side and sharing this moment with him made the experience new a wonderful. A quick glance at each of them told Naruto they thought the same. They all sat in silence watching the fireworks go off. This was perhaps, the best day of Naruto's life.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto." Shikamaru and Hinata said in unison. Naruto's smile widened.

Now, this was the best day of his life.

X.X.X

A/N: Yay, uploaded, it's done, I'll get started on the next chapter. This one was okay. Next chapter I can start doing the big stuff.

Yeah, so sorry for the wait again. Computer crashed, I had stuff to do, I procrastinated, so I'm sorry. This chapter was mainly for character development and explaining Naruto bloodline power. Also to deepen and show Naruto's relationship with his friends. You may think the part with Shikamaru and the darkness thing was gay and retarded but I needed to do that to set up for a later part in the story and I thought it was okay. I'll explain later why Yamato was there so don't ask me about him.

Also, keep those votes for who Shikamaru should be with coming. I like one more than the rest so I will probably use that but your reviews might tell me otherwise. Keep 'em coming!

Btw, I would appreciate it if you guys could come up with moves and attacks Naruto could use with his bloodline. I already have some ideas but if you come up with one I haven't thought of and I like it I just might use it. I'll explain more about Naruto's bloodline next chapter but just make do with what you know (or think you know) now.

I'll try an update more often if I can but once things calm down for me I should be able to post things all the time. Please continue to read my story.

Anywho, read and review. (or you'll wake up one day with an arrow through your chest)

Kiiam.


	7. Understand my existence

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Well, I posted this chapter quicker than my other ones. I should be posting them more quickly now since I've gotten all other important work done. This chapter is probably the longest one I've made so far and it wasn't even supposed to be this long. Don't expect others to be as long as this one. I'm just glad I got around to posting. By the way, I'm making a Haku a girl in this. Read and review. Anywho, enjoy.

**Chapter 7**

"Too slow, brat!" Anko yelled kicking Naruto in the stomach. The boy recoiled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Anko arched an eyebrow.

'_A shadow clone? Clever.' _She turned and punched another Naruto straight across the face. He fell to the ground clutching his face and didn't disappear. _'But not clever enough.'_

"Yeouch!" Naruto yelled "What the hell? I think I just swallowed one of my own teeth!"

"That's it?" Anko said scratching her head in a thoughtful manner. "I thought I hit you harder than that." Naruto growled in response.

It had been a few months since Naruto's birthday and things were going smoothly for team eight. The team still did their morning, afternoon, and midnight exercises that were still torture, but it was rewarding. Anko was less playful and carefree than she used to be and became a serious, respectable sensei in her students' eyes. They each were taught different things by the assassin but she focused most of her time on Hinata who was quickly becoming an exceptional fighter. Because of this, Naruto and Shikamaru often trained together and became closer as friends and both were good fighters. Also, Hinata started training Naruto in chakra control the day after his birthday. The blond read more of the book each day to get a grasp on his newfound heritage. Naruto's control over his chakra had increased dramatically and he could easily perform moves that were ranked "C" in his clan book and a few rank "B" attacks. Naruto's attitude, as well as Anko's, also rubbed off on the Hyuuga clan heiress making her bolder and a bit more forceful. Sometimes Naruto and Shikamaru missed the shy Hinata, but they knew they wouldn't have it any other way. Naruto actually treated his new team like family. Shikamaru was like a brother to him, Hinata wasn't like a sister, but he cared for her deeply, and Anko, as much as the blond hated to admit it, was slowly become more and more like a mother to him. Naruto and Shikamaru were also on good terms with Hinata's parents and team Gai, as Lee called his team. They were good friends with Neji, Lee, and Tenten and usually the two teams would get together for a hang out. Naruto also had a deep trust for Neji considering they both knew of a secret the other had. They all got along well, but team eight had not met team Gai's sensei… yet.

Of course, this isn't all they did. The team also started to go on missions. Anko had started them off on C-ranked missions because she felt they were strong and skilled enough to take those kinds of missions with ease. Most of the missions were just delivering messages or escorting a family over to their home country. The missions were almost always easy but once in a while the kids had to get their hands dirty. A couple times they had run into rouge ninja and ended up fighting a few. At the level they were already at team eight had no trouble defeating their low-level opponents but on one mission it all changed.

The group took on a mission that was relatively easy: delivering one letter to a business man in the rice country. The mission had gone smoothly until one unfortunate incident caused the four to bump into some rouge ninja on the run from some ANBU. The nin weren't very skilled so they could take them down easy. There were only four ninja too; one for each of them. However, Hinata had overdid it by accident and landed a hard hit on her opponent's heart. The sight was revolting for her as the rouge nin's eyes bulged and coughed up enough blood to make the girl's stomach churn. His face had scared Hinata so much and when he doubled over and landed on her she let out a scream that broke the sound barrier. Naruto and Shikamaru had quickly knocked out their opponents after hearing their friend's scream and rushed over to see her on the ground sobbing. The girl kept murmuring, "I killed him… I killed him… I killed him…!". Naruto and Shikamaru had tried to do their best to comfort her but they had no idea what she was going through. They did not know how it felt to kill someone and by the way Hinata was reacting it was something they did not want to do. Anko had pulled the girl away with a sympathetic look and told the boy's she was going to give her a "lecture" about the life of the ninja. She said she would tell the boys the same thing when they made their first kill. The boys had looked down sadly when their sensei told them, "You're ninja now. Like it or not, you're gonna have to kill something eventually.". Indeed, the life of a ninja was a hard and difficult path.

Hinata had gone into a depression for a few days until Tenten had snapped her out of it by… slapping the girl across the face. The weapon specialist had asked the boys to leave. They didn't know what the girl said to Hinata but whatever it was it had pulled her out of her depressed state and back to her cheerful self. Hinata never spoke of the moment again and she seemed to grow stronger a lot faster. Naruto and Shikamaru had to work hard to keep up. Well, Shikamaru worked at his own pace as usual.

Naruto had told Shikamaru and Anko that he was the last of the Unamekei clan and everything he currently knew about them a few days after he started his training with Hinata. Shikamaru had shrugged and didn't think much of it and Anko had smiled sweetly and added twenty laps to his usual seventy for not telling her sooner. All in all, nothing had really changed.

One thing that did worry Naruto was that the Kyuubi hadn't talked at all since their little encounter that night at Anko's house. The boy hadn't dared go into mindscape ever since then for a number of reasons and it would take hours just to name them all. Naruto would often wonder who that other boy inside his mind was and why he sounded like the Kyuubi. Still, the fur ball wasn't talking or causing problems and that was just fine with him.

"You shouldn't rush at your opponent like that." Anko said helping him up. "Always have a strategy." Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. "A clone!" Anko realized astonished. That punch would have dispelled it if it was a clone. She jumped out of the way just before several bullets of chakra pelted where she was standing a moment ago.

"He learns new tricks every time." Anko smiled to herself. Naruto jumped out of the tree behind her and shot more chakra bullets at her. She twisted out of the way and threw a kunai that hit him in the shoulder. He groaned and fell to the ground. Anko kicked him a few times to make sure it was the real one.

"It's me." Naruto groaned.

"I know." Anko said as she kicked him again. "Heine, suck out the poison would you?" The small snake slithered out from under her jacket and bit Naruto's shoulder sucking out the numbing poison that had been injected into him. Heine smiled happily as he got up.

"You always taste so good." Heine complimented. "The poison also gives the chakra a little kick." Unlike most other snakes, Heine had the ability to suck out a person's chakra. Only in small quantities though. Naruto, however, still got mad at the snake for doing so.

"Your poison is a bitch." Naruto said stretching. "Always leaves a sore feeling."

"It spreads fast which is the part I like the best." Anko smiled. She turned to Shikamaru and Hinata who had just come after sparing each other. "Who won?" Anko asked.

"Shikamaru did." Hinata sighed.

"Did he now?"

"Yep." Shikamaru said nodding.

"Good for you. Now you fight the brat." Anko grabbed Hinata and pulled her away so they could train without the boys peeping on their techniques. Naruto took out his Unamekei clan book and checked off a few things.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Checking off moves I've mastered." Naruto replied. "Chakra Shot checked and Chakra Seed checked."

"Description?"

"Chakra Shot lets me build up little portions of chakra into tiny balls and shoot them off at a great speed and Chakra Seed lets me pump my chakra into other things giving them my chakra to use making them more powerful. I can increase my clones' power and have them take a few more hits this way and I can even heal internal wounds and broken bones a bit."

"Helpful." Shikamaru commented.

"Yeah, but the shots aren't that powerful and I can't pump a lot of chakra into other things… yet." Naruto muttered. "Enough about that, let's go!"

"How troublesome."

X.X.X

Hinata sat up in her bed and stretched. Training with Shikamaru, Anko, and Naruto had taken a lot out of her and it felt good to get some rest. She got out of bed and got dressed for the day. She was to meet her team and the village gate for a mission. They were to escort an old man to the country of wave. It was C-ranked so it shouldn't be a problem.

The Hyuuga heiress made her way downstairs to the kitchen to get a quick bite to eat. She saw her mother upon entering. The older woman was sitting at the table eating her own breakfast. She smiled at her daughter.

"Good morning, Hinata." Hikari smiled. Hinata smiled back.

"Hi mom." Hinata said. "I can't stay for very long. I've got a mission this morning. We should be back in about a day or two."

"Is that so?" Hikari mused. "Well, be safe then." The Hyuuga woman winced and clutched her stomach.

"Something wrong?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"No, the baby has just been giving me trouble lately. Nothing I can't handle." Hikari smiled.

Hinata looked at her mother. The months had gone by quickly and Hikari was already plump with pregnancy. The baby was to be expected soon and whenever she thought it was coming it was a false alarm. Hinata was worried for her mother, as the baby seemed to be causing her a lot of pain. The young girl hoped her mother would be okay soon.

Hinata finished off her breakfast quickly and rushed out the door. Hikari waved after her.

"Love you, Hinata!"

"Love you too, mom!" Hinata called back. Hikari smiled. She frowned when she felt pain course through her body. How she wished this would end soon.

X.X.X

Naruto sat at the hokage's desk looking at the baby in front of him. The baby stuck his tongue out at Naruto and the blond did the same. This child was the Hokage's grandson and Naruto was taking care of him while the old man talked to some ANBU outside. The baby, Konohamaru, made another face and Naruto mimicked him. Naruto looked up as he heard the hokage enter.

"Having fun, Naruto?" The old man smiled.

"Kid's making fun of me. I know it." Naruto seriously making the hokage chuckle. Naruto got out of the hokage's seat and sat down on his usual one. Sarutobi set the baby on his lap and gently rocked back and forth.

"I always enjoy taking care of my grandson." Sarutobi smiled. "It brings me joy to see his smiling face."

"You mean his cocky smirk." Naruto corrected. "That kid will grow up to be arrogant, smart-assed, slick, and maybe a bit annoying. People should watch out for him."

"So he'll be like you?"

"No. He will never have my sexy good looks." Naruto smirked. The hokage let out another chuckle.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Sarutobi asked the demon container. The one in question leaned back in his seat.

"I've got a mission this morning so I'll make this quick." Naruto said. "It may not be of much importance, but I felt that I should tell you."

"I'm listening."

"I just wanted to say that the fur ball has been awfully quiet for months now and I was wondering if that was bad."

"Couldn't you just use mindscape? You told me you knew how." The hokage asked puzzled.

"Well… I'm afraid." Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"Explain."

"In my last mindscape the Kyuubi was the one who initiated our conversation." Naruto said. "Turns out, I was forced out of my mind by the sudden immense build up of my own chakra. I can probably return without having any problems… but… I saw something in there that made me never want to go back and see the Kyuubi."

"And what was that?" The hokage asked curiously.

"I saw someone or something in my mind." Naruto said shuttering slightly. "Whatever it was has officially become my worst fear, and what freaks me out the most is that the thing looked almost exactly like me."

The hokage's eyes narrowed. Something was happening to Naruto and as much as he wanted to help the boy he couldn't. He couldn't help when he didn't have a clue what was going on. The best the hokage could do now was get some information on this, "thing".

"Describe it." Sarutobi asked politely.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find any words to describe the boy. One single word suddenly flashed in his mind.

"Demon." Naruto said. "That's the only accurate description I can give you. Just looking at him gave me a sense of dread, despair, and hopelessness. He looked like a demon."

Sarutobi nodded. "I can't say anything that will put your mind at ease about this issue right now, Naruto. The best we can hope for is that this little encounter meant nothing and we should be grateful that the Kyuubi is keeping quiet for the time being. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"It's fine." Naruto said shrugging. "Besides, talking to you actually comforted me somewhat."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sarutobi said smiling.

"On a lighter note, I mastered a few more Unamekei clan techniques." Naruto smiled.

"That's good." The hokage said lifting his eyebrows in surprise. "You're learning quicker than I had expected. You should show me your new moves when you get back from your mission."

"Mission? What- oh yeah!" Naruto said remembering where he had to be. "See ya later old man!" Naruto dashed out the door.

Sarutobi waited a little longer rocking back and forth with Konohamaru still in his lap. After he was sure Naruto was gone he called, "Come on out now."

An ANBU man appeared before him in a puff of smoke. This man had a mask that looked like a tiger.

"What do you make of this, Yamato?"

"I don't know. I've watched the boy all his life on your orders and I never saw any symptoms that the Kyuubi was causing any real harm to him." Yamato answered from behind the mask. "A demon that looked just like him… what do you propose we do?"

"See if you can find out anything." Sarutobi said. "And before that, report the situation to Anko. Make sure it's just you and her okay? Other than us, only she should know about this development."

"Yes, hokage-sama." Yamato said. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I have a bad feeling something is happening to Naruto." The hokage said to his grandson. "I just hope I'm wrong."

X.X.X

Shikamaru cautiously made his way downstairs. He looked around to make sure he was alone and tippy-toed across the room. He could hear water running in the kitchen.

This was a stealth exercise for him. It was the last Sunday of the month. Cleaning day. And he did not want to be around his mom on this day. This dishes had piled high, all the garbage cans were full, and the toilets were, uh, unclean. If his mom caught him she would make him do all his chores before he left regardless if he had a mission or not. Those would take him hours to finish and Anko said thirty laps to anyone who was late for the mission. His best option was to sneak out of the house without his mom noticing him, avoid chores and running laps, and hopefully his dad would take the fall and do the chores for him. Only problem was that Shikamaru's mom had super sensitive hearing and could distinctly hear a feather dropping to the floor. He had to get out of the house fast.

Then he heard something. Footsteps. His mom was coming this way!

"Shikamaru? Is that you?" his mom asked aloud.

Shikamaru panicked. What could he do? He quickly took on his thinking pose and an idea came into his head.

"Shadow hand technique!" Shikamaru whispered making the necessary hand signs. His shadow hand sneaked behind the furniture and out of his mom's eyesight. Assisted by the many shadows behind the furniture the hand extended and made its way into the kitchen. If memory served, Shikamaru's target should be right about… he heard a crash.

"Huh? How did the trash can get knocked over?" Shikamaru's mom asked herself as she retreated to the kitchen to clean up the mess.

Shikamaru quickly recalled his shadow and bolted towards the door. He slammed the door behind him and broke out in a full sprint. Behind him he could hear his mother's voice. Sure, he might be grounded for a day or two but it sure as hell beat what he would have done had his mother caught him. Shikamaru shivered and picked up his pace.

X.X.X

Naruto walked towards the gate seeing that the team was already assembled. Anko had a frown on her face as she looked at him and Hinata looked distressed over something. Shikamaru was panting lightly and looked a bit troubled. Naruto shrugged it off and observed their client, a old man who appeared to be in his late sixties holding a bottle of wine. Hmm, a drinker. Looks like Anko would make good friends with him.

Anko stared at the demon container as he casually approached them. Yamato had arrived at her house and told her about Naruto's mindscape with the Kyuubi. He said not to worry about it but to keep a close eye on the boy. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary now… other than Shikamaru running to get here. Anko disregarded the message for the time being and grinned devilishly at the last arrival.

"It's about time you got here brat!" Anko said grabbing him round the neck. Naruto frowned but didn't resist. "I should have you run laps for being late!"

"I had some business with the old man." Naruto stated.

"I don't care about that, let's finish this mission quickly and get back." Anko said releasing him. She pointed towards the old drunk. "This old guy here is Tazuna. He's the lead construction worker who's managing a bridge building at his village. Our mission is to get him to his village and get back to ours. Nothing more."

"These brats are the ones who're gonna escort me?" Tazuna asked. "They look like they can't do squat."

"It's fine." Anko smiled. "You'd be surprised at what these kids can do and besides, if we do run into trouble I'll kill them in two seconds. I am a jounin after all."

"Whatever." The man scoffed.

X.X.X

The group had been walking for about four hours and still had a ways to go. The old man amused Naruto with his drunken attitude but got sober and quiet shortly. Naruto was talking with Shikamaru while Hinata walked a little bit in front of them enjoying the scenery. Tazuna was behind the boys and Anko was guarding the rear with her hands behind her head looking utterly bored. Naruto was busy explaining to his friend about how each ramen was different in its own way (Shikamaru had said they tasted all the same) but was interrupted as he heard a tiny splash.

Hinata had tripped on a muddy puddle and had gotten her foot wet in doing so. Naruto helped her up and she brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Thanks." Hinata said quickly and paced ahead a few steps so Naruto couldn't see her blushing face. Naruto shrugged and resumed his conversation but Shikamaru's attention was on the puddle behind him.

A few more minutes of walking Naruto felt something hit his rib. He looked at Shikamaru who looked at him with a foreboding look. He whispered something to the blond and he nodded in response. Naruto jogged over to Hinata and also whispered something in her ear. The Hyuuga girl turned rigid. Naruto looked behind him and saw Anko with a serious look on her face. Something was up.

Suddenly, two chains sprang out from the ground and wrapped around Anko. Everyone jumped back and Tazuna scurried behind the genin. Two ninja with giant metal claws with the chains attached to them also popped out of the ground and pulled on the chains ripping the woman's body to shreds. The ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke and the kids formed a triangle around Tazuna. Naruto suddenly felt something appear behind him.

"Second one." One of the nin chuckled.

Naruto smirked and jumped behind them and placed his palms on each of their backs.

"Chakra Burst." He said building up chakra in his palms and quickly releasing it all at once. The two nin staggered forward as they felt pain erupt in their backs. They saw Shikamaru in front of them and readied themselves to spring and attack but found they couldn't move. Shikamaru spread out his arms and legs and the two ninja mimicked him. The Nara had caught them in his shadow possession jutsu.

"Now Hinata." Shikamaru called over to the girl.

"Right!" The girl nodded. She ran over to the helpless ninja and delivered a few quick strikes to their shoulders, arms, and legs. Shikamaru released his hold over them and the duo fell to the ground. They felt completely numb.

"Those brats set us up." One of them muttered weakly.

"Dammit." The other one said. They both fell unconscious.

"Nice one, Shikamaru." Naruto said kicking one of them. "Wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said something. Nice plan too."

"Thanks." Shikamaru said bending down to inspect the unconscious ninja.

"Mist ninja?" Hinata said. The ninja wore gas masks and heavy leather cloaks but the headbands they wore signaled where they were from. "Why did they attack us?"

"You can come out now." Shikamaru said looking up.

Anko jumped down from the tree she was sitting in and smiled at her students. "Nice work. You dispatched them a lot quicker than I thought you would." She commented.

"Gee, thanks for all the help." Shikamaru mumbled. "That was more trouble than it was worth."

"I think I'll keep these." Naruto said removing the mist ninjas' claws and depositing them in a carrier scroll.

"But-she-they-and then-rip-chains!" Tazuna sputtered pointing at Anko.

"Substitution jutsu." Anko said indicating her ripped up body parts that turned out to be only logs. She looked accusingly at the bridge builder. "Why did you not say you were being followed?"

The man looked down at his feet shamefully. "It was the only way I could get help." He said.

"Explain."

Tazuna sighed. "My town is poor and an almost desolate place. We used to be a thriving town but a man named Gato moved into our town and closed all our ports preventing trade and forcing us to buy his imported drugs and other hazardous material. To get food we have to pay high taxes and even then we don't get enough to survive. Gato wants me dead so we can't finish the bridge to the mainland my men and I are working on."

"This man doesn't want the bridge to be completed so your people won't be able to trade with the other country, right?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes."

"Forcing the suffering people to buy his expensive goods through fear and deceit. That's cruel." Hinata said sadly.

"I only had enough money to pay for a C-rank mission. I figured if I got some bodyguards to protect me I could finish the bridge and save our town. I'm sorry I lied." Tazuna said.

"Our mission was to escort you to the border of wave country, nothing more. You know that right?" Anko said shaking her head. Tazuna nodded in response. A smile appeared on Anko's face. She turned towards her students. "You kids ready?"

"Yep." Naruto smirked.

"Just pay us after the town is restored." Shikamaru said smiling slightly.

"We wouldn't ever abandon people in need." Hinata said nodding her head determinedly.

Tazuna looked at them all in disbelief. "You…"

"Guys, this mission has been upgraded to A-rank." Anko said. "Be on your guard. Let's get this old geezer to his village."

Tazuna shook his head. "You don't understand. Gato is desperate to kill me. You could die protecting me."

"We know." The group said in unison. Tazuna shook his head a chuckled.

"Thank you."

X.X.X

A few hours had passed and the group had made it to Tazuna's town. Well, outside of it anyway. Since Gato's men were patrolling the borders of the village they had to sneak their way in. Tazuna led the trio to one of his friends who took them to the forest outside of town by boat. None of Gato's men guarded the forest area so they could sneak through the back. Everyone was tense since the first attack and they all knew another one was to be expected. The assassin would also be no doubt stronger than the first two. Tensions were high as they expected an attack any time. The part Naruto didn't like was that there was this tick going on in the back of his head that made him extremely uncomfortable. He marked as nervousness but it didn't feel like he was that nervous.

"Hold on." Anko said. Everyone halted in their movement. They all stood still. A slient rustling was heard.

"He's here!" squeaked an all too familiar voice.

Heine came slithering out of a bush towards Anko. The woman nodded at the reptile. Good thing she had him scout ahead. She knew what was coming.

"GET DOWN!" Anko roared and everyone hit the ground. A huge sword came spinning right past where their heads had been just a moment ago. They got back up and saw the owner of the sword catch it in his hand. "Thanks Heine." Anko said. The snake nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

They all got up and looked at their opponent. He balanced the large sword on his shoulder and his face was covered in bandages. He had no shirt and his skin color was a sickly gray. He looked at the four with predatory eyes.

"You three. Care to hand over the old drunk?" He said. At this Tazuna grunted. Anko ignored him and stared down their opponent.

"Momochi Zabuza." Anko said. "I never thought I'd meet you face to face."

"Oh? Seems like my reputation proceeds me. You, however, I am unfamiliar with." Zabuza said smiling into his bandages.

"I entertain gossip from time to time." Anko said pulling out a kunai. "You've got quite a record. The most interesting story was that you killed an entire class of genin graduates during an exam. And you were still a brat."

"It was fun." Zabuza said sadistically.

"Guys, step back." Anko said taking on a fighting stance. "I'll fight him alone. He's too strong for any of you. He is after all, the demon of the mist."

"Heh. Fine by me." Zabuza smirked. "I'll kill you first, then the old man, then the brats. I'll go home knowing I did a good day's work." He turned towards the genin cell. "On second thought…" He launched towards the kids knocking Anko out of the way. Naruto jumped in front of them and held his hands out.

"Chakra Screen!"

A wall of chakra spread out in front of him and Zabuza's sword thrust straight in the center of it. Naruto stepped back and was shocked when the wall started to crack. Guess he should have used more chakra.

Zabuza broke the wall and dashed towards Tazuna. Naruto jumped in front of the man and held his hands up.

"Chakra Claws!"

His pointers appeared on his hands and Zabuza's sword came swinging down. Naruto caught the blade and fed chakra to his claws to keep the blade in place. Blood seeped from his hands as he hadn't stopped the blade completely.

"You little brat!" Zabuza let go of his sword and punched Naruto straight across the face. Blood flew from the boy's mouth and was thrown against a nearby tree. Naruto felt his head and found blood had appeared. Zabuza was strong. He looked up to see Anko fighting off the warrior. Shikamaru stood in ready position for his shadow possession technique and Hinata stood close to Tazuna. A thick mist started to roll in, no doubt one of Zabuza's techniques. Naruto slowly got up on his feet and pumped more chakra to his fading claws. His vision was getting blurry. That hit to the head did not do him any good, nor did the continued ticking.

"**Need help?"**

Naruto's eyes widened. Kyuubi…

"What do you want?" Naruto growled.

"**Nothing. We just haven't talked in so long. It's very lonely in here and you haven't come to visit in quite a long time." **The Kyuubi chuckled.

"Look, I don't have time for you right now. My friends are in trouble." Naruto said trying to steady himself.

"**Heh heh. They can wait. I need to talk to you."**

Naruto's vision went completely black and he found himself in the Kyuubi's lair. He stood in front of the Kyuubi's cage in knee-deep water staring at the beast's big red eyes. Naruto glared at the fox.

"What do you want?" Naruto said. Secretly, he wanted to get out as soon as possible. Where was that boy?

"**C'mon. You can feel it can't you? Ah, maybe it's because I know him and you don't."**

"Know who?"

The Kyuubi chuckled. **"I know you had a feeling. Feels like a tick in the back of your head. Oh, he is closer than you think."**

"Who the hell is 'he'?!" Naruto yelled in frustration. Why did the Kyuubi never tell him things straight out?"

"**Sanbi no Isonade." **The Kyuubi said losing his humoring tone. **"An old friend of mine. Though, on second thought, I wouldn't really call him a friend."**

"Sanbi no Isonade? What's that?" Naruto asked.

"**Why, a demon kit. Just like me." **

Naruto's eyes widened. "Y-You mean… you're not the only bijuu?"

"**You really are stupid, kit." **The Kyuubi sighed. **"Of course there are other bijuu. There's a one-tail, two-tail, three-tail… all leads up to nine, me. Take pride in the fact that you're the container of the most powerful of the nine bijuu."**

"Does that mean there are other containers too?" Naruto asked curiously.

"**Yep."**

"Wait… so you're saying that the container of the Sanbi no Isonade is near?" Naruto asked in realization.

"**You're really slow aren't you?"**

"Is it… Zabuza?" Naruto asked.

"**No. The container of the Sanbi no Isonade is near. Not Zabuza though. I'm sure Sanbi knows I'm here too." **The Kyuubi said thoughtfully.

"What's this demon like?" Naruto asked.

"**He looks like a deformed turtle. Pretty fat too. His defenses are almost impenetrable and he attacks from inside them. Though I could crush his defenses easily. **The Kyuubi said. **"Sanbi has three tails.**

Naruto looked intently at the Kyuubi processing what he had told him. There were other demon containers and bijuu? And according to the Kyuubi one of them was nearby. Naruto guessed that however many tails a demon had the stronger that demon was. What the Sanbi like the Kyuubi?

Naruto suddenly became aware of another feeling. He looked down to see the water was rising again. It was past his waist. He looked back to the Kyuubi's cage to find that the eyes and mouth were no longer there. Naruto panicked and looked around frantically. The feeling he had during their last encounter was back.

"**Look in the water, Kit."**

Naruto looked at the water. He saw nothing but the bright blue that was his overflowing chakra. But then he saw something. Something red. A closer inspection and Naruto saw that there was red chakra in his. Very faint, and there was hardly any, but it was there. What was happening?"

"**Heh heh heh. It feels good to let my power out. It makes me feel free again." **The Kyuubi's voice chuckled.

"What are you doing?"

"**Simple. I'm using your bloodline power to release my chakra."**

"But the seal should-

"**The seal is weak. It can't hold me." **The Kyuubi chuckled. **"Everything will come back. I'll get what I had even if it means taking it all by force."**

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked as the water reached his shoulders.

"**Kit, I was always a demon. But I also had things that made me human." **The Kyuubi sighed as if he was remembering something that was once forgotten. **"I don't want to tell you, nor do I want to go in to detail about it. I'll use YOUR body and make it MINE. It will take time, but I will slowly corrupt your body with my chakra and take everything you have. Cruel, yes, but I am a demon."**

"Made you human? Make my body yours? Corrupt my chakra? What are you doing to me?" Naruto started to panic. The water was at his neck.

"**You heard the Hokage say it. The seal was formed not only to suppress my chakra, but yours too. Since your powers are breaking the seal and releasing itself into your body, so is my chakra." **The Kyuubi smiled. Naruto was slowly coming to a realization. **"Your powers breaking away from the seal also weaken the seal, Kit. It allows me to release my chakra just like you. But since the seal is not completely destroyed, I can't release my chakra all at once. I'll have to take it step by step. Once I release enough chakra I'll make my move. I'll be free once again and your strength, powers, and body will be mine."**

The Kyuubi laughed insanely as the water engulfed Naruto. The demon container floated in the water clutching onto the bars of the cage like last time. Naruto slowly sank to the ground and stood in front of the cage again. Red chakra began to convulse and swirl inside the cage. It all dispersed and in its place was the boy that looked just like him. The boy smiled.

"**It's coming close, Kit." **The boy spoke. **"I'll use every chance I have to get out of this cage and use your body. You can't stop it so don't bother fighting it."**

The boy was suddenly was in front of Naruto. It looked straight into the demon container's eyes. Naruto saw many things in those eyes. In the center it seemed like a black void.

Naruto felt the suffocating feeling again. He grabbed his chest as oxygen became a necessity for him. The boy smiled.

"**Bye." **

He flicked Naruto's forehead and Naruto's vision blackened.

X.X.X

Naruto awoke in the same position he was left in. He looked up to see Hinata looking worriedly at him and Tazuna standing a little bit behind her. She sighed in relief.

"Oh, Naruto. You really made me worried." Hinata sighed.

Naruto looked around to see Anko nursing a wound on her shoulder. Shikamaru was standing over Zabuza's unconscious body. Looks like they won. Naruto arched an eyebrow when he saw a ANBU girl also standing over Zabuza's body. Shikamaru seemed to be talking to her.

"What happened?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"You saved Tazuna and you fell unconscious." Hinata said. "We came over to check up on you while Anko-sensei fought Zabuza. Your eyes had no pupils. They looked completely white!"

Naruto grimaced. He didn't fall unconscious but went into a subconscious state. Every time he went into mindscape his eyes when blank and his consciousness would linger inside his mind. It wasn't a pretty sight but that just how it worked.

"Anko managed to wear Zabuza out to the point where Shikamaru could catch him with his shadow possession. When Anko-sensei was about to deliver the final blow that ANBU ninja over there came and knocked Zabuza out. She said she would take care of him."

Naruto looked towards the ANBU again. She seemed very young and roughly around his age. There was an uneasy feeling though. Like a click in the back of his head…

"Sanbi?" Naruto muttered.

"Don't talk, you need to rest." Hinata said forcing him back against the tree. "That head injury needs to be treated."

Anko walked over to the trio and bent down to Naruto's level. "How ya feelin brat?"

"I've been better." Naruto groaned.

"That's good." Anko winced as she felt a stinging in her arm. "Damn, I underestimated him. He got a good shot in my shoulder."

"Heh. That's nothing." Naruto chuckled lifting up his bloodstained hands. "I probably took more hits than you. Just look at me."

"I took a few hard punches too." Anko mumbled. She looked down sadly. "I… I'm sorry you got hurt. He got past me and hurt you and, well, I was careless. I'm sorry."

Naruto looked at his teacher. Looks like she had a soft spot after all.

"Don't apologize, bitch. It doesn't suit you." Naruto smirked. Anko smiled.

"I am terribly sorry you were hurt by this man. I will see to it that he is punished for harming a child."

Naruto looked up to see the ANBU girl standing next to Shikamaru. He glared at her.

"Call me a child? Your no older than me." Naruto said.

"I am much more mature than you." The girl chuckled lightly.

"Can't argue with that." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Shut up, Nara."

"Anyway, I will see to this man you. You need not to concern yourself with him any further. Farewell." The girl walked over to the swordsman's unconscious body and placed her hands on his chest. They disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

"I don't like her." Naruto stated.

"You alright?" Shikamaru asked.

"Dandy."

"Thanks for saving me kid, you're a life-saver." Tazuna smiled.

"Everyone just shut up, my head is killing me." Naruto said as Shikamaru lifted him up.

"We should get to the geezer's house and tend to your wounds." Anko said. "I would have brought a first aid with me myself but I didn't expect to run into an A-rank missing nin on a C-rank mission. You do have bandages and your place, right old geezer?"

"Yeah, my daughter can treat him."

"Let's get going then." Anko said. She suddenly heard a peculiar sound. "What's that?"

"Naruto. He fell asleep." Shikamaru replied indicated the exhausted ninja.

"What a pain in the ass." Anko smiled shaking her head.

X.X.X

Naruto woke up to find his head had been bandaged up and so had his hands. He sat up on the bed he was placed in to find Shikamaru sitting in a chair next to him sleeping. Naruto grabbed his shoe off the floor and threw it at the sleeping boy. It bounced off his head and Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes. He yawned and turned his lazy eyes towards the blond.

"Crap, you're up." Shikamaru sighed.

"Why crap? Aren't you happy to see I'm okay." Naruto asked teasingly.

"Because of you I had to haul your beaten ass here by myself because Anko refused to carry you. Also, she told me that when you woke up that we got to go to the woods behind the house. She and Hinata already went over there ahead of us."

"Whoop-de-do." Naruto said pulling on his shoes after Shikamaru threw his back. Naruto got up and made his way towards the door. "Let's eat something first then head over. I'm starving."

They duo made their way downstairs to find Tazuna sitting at the table reading a newspaper. A woman with blue hair was by the stove cooking something. Naruto guessed that she was the old drunk's daughter of whom he spoke about. There was also a small boy that looked around the age of seven talking to Tazuna. Naruto yawned getting all their attention.

"Morning kid!" Tazuna laughed. "When you didn't wake up last night I thought you were really dead! Glad to see you're up and about."

"Thanks." Naruto said sitting down. He turned towards the man's daughter. "Did you treat my wounds?"

"Yes. I'm Tsunami." She smiled turning towards him. "My father told me you saved his life so it was the least I could do. I'm happy to see you're alright." She placed a plate of waffles in front of Naruto and he proceeded to gobble it up. Shikamaru settled for a bright red apple.

"So you're the person that saved grandpa?"

Naruto looked up from his meal and stared at the boy who addressed him. He looked at Naruto intently. "You got really beat up." The boy said frowning. Naruto glared at the boy.

"Gee, Naruto, thanks for saving my grandpa! No problem kid, your welcome though!" Naruto said sarcastically. The boy glared at the blond.

"Inari! Mind your manners!" Tsunami scolded. The boy looked down at his feet.

Naruto got up after cleaning his plate of all its content. He placed his dish in the sink and walked out the door. Shikamaru followed after him.

"Thanks for the food!" He called back. He and Shikamaru walked towards the forest ignoring Inari's glare.

X.X.X

Things progressed like that for a few days. Anko had everyone practice on controlling their chakra by having them run up trees. Hinata mastered it first seeing as she had better chakra control than the other two. The boys mastered it eventually and training was pretty much just like back home. Anko had told them that she was sure Zabuza was still alive and that the ANBU that had picked him up hadn't really been an ANBU. They were anticipating another attack anytime soon.

What made it hard for Naruto was the fact that the girl who had picked Zabuza up was a demon container. He knew she contained the Sanbi since no one else had been around and the Kyuubi had said Zabuza wasn't the demon. Still, why had she been so nice? She could have finished them off right there if she wanted to. Or maybe not. The fur ball did say that the Sanbi focused on defense and not attack. Maybe she didn't have any real attacks. Naruto didn't dwell on it much.

During their stay Inari had watched them closely. The boy had lost his father because the man went against Gato. Tazuna had told them the whole story and it had left the boy scarred. Inari had once told Naruto to just give up but the blond had acted like he hadn't heard him. One night the boy exploded into tears and shouted what they were doing was hopeless.

"YOU'RE ALL JUST GONNA GET KILLED! WHY TRY AT ALL!? I'VE SEEN WHAT GATO DOES TO PEOPLE WHO GO AGAINST HIM! YOU'LL ALL JUST DIE IN THE END!" Inari screamed.

"Well at least we're trying to do something instead of just sitting around crying and waiting until Gato leaves." Naruto snapped. Everyone looked at him in shock. "I got news for you brat, that creep ain't gonna leave and he won't stop giving out shit to you and your village unless you do something. Nothing sickens me more than when someone who's too scared to do anything about tells someone who's at least willing to try that it's all hopeless! You've already given up and you haven't even tried!"

"Naruto!" Hinata gasped astonished at him behavior.

"Seriously, he's just a kid!" Shikamaru said also stunned by his outburst.

"I ain't gonna have some crybaby who can't do shit complain to me about what we're doing!" Naruto snarled. "The brat should be grateful we're even willing to help in the first place!"

Naruto got up and stomped out the door. He left everyone looking after him with a stunned look on their faces. Anko recovered first.

"I'll go talk to him." Anko said getting up and walking out the door.

Naruto sat at the docks watching the wave crash on the shore with the moon illuminating the surface of the water. Anko sat down next to him and looked at the sea.

"So, what was up with that?" Anko asked him.

"Up with what?"

"With you shouting at the kid like that? It's not like you to just explode like that." Anko stated matter-a-factly.

"He just reminds me what I was like before I knew why the villagers hated me." Naruto sighed. "I was a whiny brat that didn't do anything but cry."

"What's going on? You've been acting strange for quite a while now." Anko said. "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

Naruto sighed. "Do you know about bijuu?" he asked.

Anko arched an eyebrow at him. Of course she knew. He was the container of a bijuu, the Kyuubi no Yoko. The boy did not know that Anko knew he was bijuu. The other two kids were unaware, but she knew. Anko wondered why he had asked such a question though.

"Yeah. A demon. The Kyuubi was one." Anko replied. "So?"

"Do you know if there are other bijuu?"

Anko thought this over. She had never heard of there being any other bijuu than the Kyuubi. Sure, there were rumors but she never entertained them. Those rumors had said that the Sand had a bijuu and so did the country of Lightning. But those were just rumors, right?

"I don't think there are." Anko said thoughtfully. "I've heard people say there were others but I never believed it. Why?"

"What were the bijuu like before they were sealed?" Naruto asked ignoring her question.

"They were demons of course. Created in the depths of hell and by the hands of a shinigami." Anko said. "There are many other tales relating to demons. There have been stories that say demons can control others, take on any form, live in another dimension, all kinds of stuff."

"Hm." Naruto looked out to the sea.

"Why are you asking all these questions about demons, brat?" Anko asked. Naruto got up.

"I should probably get back to the house. Pretty tired after all that training you put me through." Naruto said walking back towards the house.

"What's up with you? You're changing, brat." Anko said sadly. "I don't know what it is, but why don't you let me help you?"

Naruto chuckled. "Because I don't really know what's going on myself." Naruto sighed. "I don't know what's going on with me. I don't know if it has to do with my newfound powers or what but I just haven't been feeling myself lately."

"I think your yelling at eight year olds proved something is definitely wrong with you." Anko said with a slightly humorous tone. "Seriously though, he lost his father. You didn't have to be so harsh."

"I guess I don't really know what he's feeling." Naruto said. "Never knew my father, or my mother for that matter. He was loved, I wasn't. I suppose I can't understand someone who has lost a loved one when I haven't. I wasn't loved when I was young."

Naruto suddenly felt Anko's arms wrap around his torso. He stiffened but didn't resist. Anko hugged him to her chest and smiled.

"You have people that love you, Naruto. You've got Shikamaru, Hinata, and me. Not to mention that old man." Anko smiled. "We're all here for you so if you have anything to tell us or need any help we'll always be there for you."

To say Naruto was shocked at Anko's behavior would be putting it lightly. This wasn't the Anko he knew. Still, Naruto was pleased at what the woman had said to him. Maybe he was wrong about being unloved and uncared for. Anko and his friends cared for him and that's what mattered to him. Naruto smiled.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

The boy was suddenly released and slapped hard on his backside. Naruto winced as his back started to sting.

"Now to bed with you!" Anko commanded. "You've got to get your sleep if you want to be in tip top shape tomorrow for exercises. Oh, and apologize to Inari while you're at it."

"Screw you." The boy growled but the smallest of smiles grazed his lips. He ran towards the house leaving Anko behind. The woman frowned sadly at his retreating back.

'_So the old man and Yamato were right after all.' _She thought. _'Something is up with him and I'll bet the Kyuubi is involved. I just hope everything turns out okay. Stay strong, Naruto.'_

X.X.X

Naruto sat down against a tree panting. Anko had them run extra laps that morning and since he had woken up late he had been deprived of his breakfast. The woman had made him and his team battle over twenty giant snakes at once and separated them saying that each of them needed to learn how to find one another and fend for themselves. Naruto had managed to lose the eight or so giant snakes that had been tailing him so he took this moment to rest. He rested his head on the tree and closed his eyes. Suddenly he heard a faint sound.

"What's that?" Naruto said getting up and following the sound. As he got closer to the source he found that it was a voice. A female's voice. As he got even closer he realized the girl was singing. The blond eventually found a girl in a small patch of flowers singing to herself. She had long flowing black hair that was tied back and wore a long pink kimono. She looked slightly older than him and the girl wore a serene smile on her face.

"Hello there." The girl smiled looking towards him.

"Oh, uh, hi. Did I surprise you?" Naruto asked scratching the back of his head.

"Not at all." The girl smiled. "You seem tired. You should sit down and rest."

Naruto sat down in front of the smiling girl. She picked a few flowers and they both remained silent.

"What's your name?" She inquired looking back up at him.

"Let's hear yours first." Naruto said folding his arms.

"Haku." She chuckled.

"Naruto." The blond replied.

"You seem to have been working hard. You're drenched in sweat." Haku stated.

"Yeah, just training with my team. My sensei works us to the bone and it ain't fun. Still, I manage."

"Why do you do it?" Haku asked.

"I want to protect my friends I guess." Naruto shrugged. Haku smiled at him.

"I see what you mean." She smiled. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "When you protect someone who is precious to you you become stronger. You are not fighting so much for yourself but for them. That, to people like us, is all that matters. You put those who you care about before yourself even if you could get killed. You fight your best all for the sake of that person. The strongest shinobi are selfless and caring. You will become strong because you are like me." Haku sat up.

"Er, I didn't exactly mean it like that." Naruto said awkwardly.

"Your reason for existence is to protect your friends, is it not?" Haku asked. Naruto just stared at her. "Everyone has a reason for why they continue to live. Without meaning, you cannot exist. You want to feel like you have a reason for your living, even if you are just a tool." Haku paused. "When I was young I was indifferent. I had a quality that no other shared and for that I was shunned. My parents died because I was indifferent. I did not feel loved, nor did I feel alive. I had nothing, nobody wanted me, thus I did not exist." Naruto stared at her more intently as she smiled at him. "Then one person saw me, noticed me. He said he could use me, so I went with him. Even if someone is just a tool, they have a reason to exist. That is why I exist, to help the person who is precious to me and do whatever he feels I should do." Haku got up. "You want to protect your friends and I want to protect mine. The next time we meet, we will be enemies. We will fight. Because I have sworn to protect someone who is precious to me." Haku turned and left. Naruto stared at her retreating back.

The next time they meet… we will fight. What the hell? What did she mean by that? It was only now that Naruto became aware of a small ticking in the back of his head. His eyes widened.

"Sanbi?" Naruto whispered. Haku was already gone.

"Hey, Naruto."

The mentioned turned to see Shikamaru walking towards him. Naruto smiled.

"You look like shit." Naruto said looking at the boy's torn jacket and cuts on his upper left arm. The boy's hair was also messed up.

"When you've got snake chasing after you and Anko throwing kunai at you it would be a miracle to come out unscathed." Shikamaru grunted. "She ruined another one of my jackets."

"Sucks for you. You want to head back to the house? I'm starving and I never got breakfast."

"Why not? By the way, who was that girl that was walking away?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just a girl." Naruto shrugged. "Had a chat. Nothing else."

"How troublesome."

"How is that troublesome?"

"All women are troublesome." Shikamaru said. Naruto just chuckled.

The day went by without anything else eventful happening. Tazuna said he and his crew would finish the bridge tomorrow. Anko told team eight to expect an attack tomorrow so they had to be on full alert. As Naruto lay awake in bed he thought back to Haku's words.

"The next time we meet we'll fight, huh?" Naruto mumbled. "I'll be fighting the container of the Sanbi no Isonade." Naruto fell into a deep slumber.

X.X.X

The next morning Naruto awoke to a scream. The boy rolled out of bed and crashed to the floor. He quietly made his way downstairs and witnessed Inari getting punched across the face by a man with scars on his body and an eye patch. Another man, most probably his partner, was holding Tsunami and smirking down at the child. He wore a ski cap and a thick purple vest. Seemed like a party had started while Naruto was asleep.

"Stop! Don't hurt Inari!" Tsunami begged as she struggled against her captor.

"Shut up, bitch! You're lucky we haven't killed you yet!" The man with the eye patch snarled. Inari gingerly got to his feet and wiped off the blood that had dribbled down his chin.

"I'm not giving up." Inari growled. "Let my mom go. LEAVE US ALONE!" Inari yelled rushing towards the man only to get punched in the face again. Naruto smiled slightly. So the kid had listened to him after all. He made a few quick hand signs.

"You little brat. We were gonna let you live, but now we-

"Hello!"

The two swordsman turned to see six Naruto smirking at them. The two men blinked a few times to make sure they weren't seeing things. The Narutos laughed and launched towards their opponents punching and kicking until the two could move no more. The Naruto clones dispelled and the three tied the unconscious men up.

"That was amazing!" Inari said in astonishment. "You were like pow-boom-bang! You gotta teach me that trick!"

Naruto smiled down at the boy. "Maybe later, for now guard this place until I come back. Okay?"

The boy nodded his head vigorously. "You got it!" Naruto turned towards Tsunami.

"Where's my team and the old man?" Naruto asked.

"They went to the bridge about a few hours ago. Do you think they're in trouble too?" Tsunami asked worry evident in her eyes.

"Don't worry. Stay here. I'll go help them." Naruto dashed off at an incredible speed towards the bridge.

'_Don't you dare die on me guys. Not now.' _Naruto thought grimly as he sped towards the bridge.

X.X.X

By the time Naruto arrived thing were already looking pretty bad. Anko was locked in battle with Zabuza. Both had already taken serious wounds. Naruto spotted Hinata defending Tazuna from a group of Zabuza water clones. The blond also noticed a large box of crystal mirrors further down the bridge. Shikamaru was nowhere to be found. The boy stored up chakra in his finger tips and released it forming his favorite weapon of choice. He landed on one of the Zabuza clones and cut the remaining four to pieces. Both Hinata and Tazuna sighed in relief upon seeing him.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.

"In there." Hinata said pointing to the box of crystal mirrors. Naruto nodded and ran into to it. Inside he found the seriously injured Shikamaru and all the mirrors had the image of the ANBU ninja that had rescued Zabuza back in the forest. Naruto felt a tick in the back of his head.

"How's it going, Nara?" Naruto smirked.

"About time you showed up." The boy said wearily. He had several needles sticking out of him.

"Haku. Nice to see you." Naruto said to the mirrors. The reflections all bowed to him.

"Naruto." The Hakus greeted. "We meet again on the battlefield, as enemies."

"Just like you said." Naruto smirked. He launched himself towards one of the mirrors and shattered it to tiny pieces. Naruto jumped up digging his claws into another mirror cutting it to pieces. Haku was surprised that he was destroying her mirrors so easily. Shikamaru had already memorized the pattern she had kept when alternating to different mirrors. The Nara told Naruto where the real Haku was and the blond broke that mirror to pieces. Haku was running out of mirrors to alternate between and see couldn't create new ones under this onslaught. She had to end this now.

Haku threw a few dozen needles at Naruto aiming for his vitals. Naruto hadn't noticed in his rush and saw the needles coming for him too late. He waited for the needles to pelt his skin but they never came. Naruto watched in stupefied horror as Shikamaru darted in front of him and took the blow and was hit all over his body. The boy's body twisted and jerked as each individual needle pierced his skin. Shikamaru had taken the blow that was meant for Naruto.

Naruto caught his friend as he fell backwards and cradled him in his hands. Shikamaru coughed up some blood and smiled at Naruto. The blond felt tears start to gather in his eyes.

"W-Why? Why the hell did you do that!? It was a trap you jackass!" Naruto yelled as tears started falling from his eyes.

"I know." Shikamaru muttered as blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth. "My body moved on it's own. I… guess I couldn't get us out of this one, huh?" He smiled. Naruto shook his head. "It was troublesome… but… I had to get up off my lazy ass and do something right? To tell the truth… it felt good to do something… for once." Naruto watched helplessly as his Shikamaru, his first and best friend, fade away right in front of his eyes. The boy's eyes closed as darkness overcame him forevermore. Naruto just stared at his face as tear fell from his eyes unstopping. He gently shook the boy trying to get him to wake up. The blond let go of his friend and placed him on the ground. The boy broke out sobbing.

"No… you can't be dead." Naruto shook his head. "You can't be… you can't… YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU CAN'T! Naruto screamed. Naruto closed his eyes wishing for it all to go away.

"**Hello, Kit."**

Naruto opened his eyes to stare into the Kyuubi's bright red ones. He was in his mind again. Tears still fell from the boy's eyes as he looked helplessly at the Kyuubi.

"**That girl killed your friend. Your closest friend. You gonna let her get away with that?" **

Naruto looked up at the Kyuubi. Anger started to bubble up inside him. Hate started to rage inside him. The overpowering bloodlust began to fill him. Shikamaru had been killed.

"**Do you want revenge?" **The Kyuubi asked. He chuckled in delight when he saw Naruto nod his head.

"Yes…" Naruto mumbled with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

"**I could let you borrow some of my power… but it's up to you to release it." **

A trail of red chakra crept out from the cage and stopped before the blond. The Kyuubi started to laugh insanely.

"**Take that power and release it! Take revenge on the one who took your friend away from you! Kill her! Kill her!" **The Kyuubi laughed manically.

"Kill her…" Naruto muttered. He stared at the chakra before him. What about containing his chakra. Containing the Kyuubi. He could jeopardize his whole existence if he were to touch that.

That's it. His whole existence. He had failed in protecting his friend. Shikamaru, his closest friend, was dead because of him. Screw it, he was going to use the Kyuubi's chakra even though he knew of its dangers. Shikamaru was dead and he was going to enjoy every moment of suffering and pain Haku was about to experience. She had killed his friend.

Naruto grasped the chakra before him and it all exploded inside him. He let out a vicious roar.

Outside him mind, Haku was witnessing a terrifying sight. Naruto had suddenly been consumed in a burst of red chakra that was currently swirling around the boy. As Haku looked more closely she could see Naruto inside. His whisker marks had grown and his fingers had turned into pointed tips. He still had his Chakra Claws and his sudden transformation made the claws seem even more deadly and sharp. The claws had gone from a sky blue to a bright red. Naruto's teeth grew sharper and his eyes turned red. There was a flash that blinded Haku, but for a second, she was sure she had seen a boy with white skin, red hair, markings on his cheeks and deep blood red eyes that chilled and shook every part of her body.

She opened her eyes to see Naruto standing in the center of her mirrors gathering chakra in his hand. His yellow hair waved like a flame on his head and his eyes bore straight into hers. Haku launched a shower of needles at the boy but they all were batted away or incinerated by the boy's intense chakra. Naruto gathered a ball of red chakra in his hand.

"Chakra Burst stream!"

The ball exploded sending bursts of chakra all over the place hitting the mirrors and shattering them upon contact. Only one mirror was left… and she was in it. Naruto bounded towards her and aimed a punch at her face. Haku was too scared to move. His fist shattered the mirror and punched her straight in the center of her mask and sent her flying. Naruto jumped and grabbed her in mid air slashing her mask and kicking her back down to the ground. She stood up gingerly as her mask crumbled and fell from her face. Naruto landed right in front of her and hoisted her up by her hair. She looked at him wearily through half-lidded eyes.

"So I was right… you are the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko." She said sadly.

"Yes." Naruto responded. "And you are the container of the Sanbi no Isonade."

Haku nodded. "I don't mind dying right here. I have caused you great pain. But… I know you have lived the same life I had lived. Feared, shunned, rejected, all because people thought you to be the demon that is inside you." She sighed. "People knew I was the container of the Sanbi and that's why so many hated me and my father tried to kill me. I had no reason to live until Zabuza found me and took me in. I was just a lost little girl crying and wallowing in self-pity until he showed up and gave me purpose. That's why I fight. To help him, and to repay him for all that he had done for me." Haku looked towards Shikamaru's corpse. Hinata and Tazuna now sat beside him with the Hyuuga girl weeping openly. "I never ever wanted to kill him. Under different circumstances I'm sure… or at least I hope… we could have been friends… Naruto…"

Naruto set Haku back down. He no longer felt any anger or hate towards the girl. She probably knew him best here. She was just like him. Even if they were on opposite sides she still was doing what was right. Haku looked at Naruto expectantly.

"Aren't you going to finish me?"

"No." Naruto shook his head.

"But… I killed…" Haku looked down. Naruto shook his head again.

"I can't forgive you Haku. Sorry, but I can't. Shikamaru was like a brother to me. The first one who took notice of me. He didn't run or glare when he saw me." The blond looked towards the boy's corpse with a sad look on his face. "But I don't want to kill you. Because you probably know me best here. You know of the same suffering I know of. The Sanbi… you didn't use any of his power during our fight?"

Haku shook her head. "Would you? I would never use his power. He's spoken to me many times over, telling me to use his power. Demons can consume another's soul. I know that if I use the Sanbi's power… I will no longer be me. You used the Kyuubi's power didn't you?"

Naruto nodded. "I had to. Or rather I wanted to. During that moment I didn't care what happened to me if I used the Kyuubi's power even if it changed me. But that isn't something he would have wanted me to do." He nodded at Shikamaru smiling slightly. "He would probably just call it troublesome and find a good place to nap to forget it all."

"I'm sorry."

Naruto turned to see Anko standing next to him with a sad look on her face. Naruto looked down.

"I'm so sorry. I could've…" She paused when Naruto held his hand up.

"Save it." Naruto said emotionlessly. "It too troublesome." Anko smiled sadly at this.

"We're done here Haku." Zabuza said walking over to her. His shoulders had many cut on them and there were deep gashes all over his arms. The rest of his body didn't look much better. "I can't move my arms. She did something and… we have to leave."

"Oh? You failed? Zabuza, I'm surprised at you!"

They all turned to see Gato standing a little distance away from them with about thirty or so swordsman behind him. He shook his head sadly.

"Such a shame really, now I have no more use for you. Kill them all." He said to his men.

"Hey!"

Everyone turned around to see a surprising sight. All the villagers stood on the bridge armed with pitchfork, kitchen implements, and any other weapon they could find. Inari and his mom were visible near the front shouting at Gato and his men with the other villagers.

"Go and leave us alone, Gato!"

"If you don't we'll make you!"

"We've had enough of your shady dealings!"

Gato and his men took a step back. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Y-You fools! How will you live without my-

Gato stopped speaking when he felt something wet on his chest. He looked down dumbly to find a hand and kunai sticking out of it.

"The villagers want you to leave and the bridge will be finished in no time at all, we now no longer have a use for you. Die." Came Haku's voice as she withdrawed her hand and threw the gang leader off the bridge. The swordsmen tried to stab her but Naruto came and swept her off her feet before any of them could even touch her. They all turned to see about fifty Naruto and Anko shadow clones and several Zabuza and Haku water clones. The swordsmen looked back at the villagers who were slowly advancing towards them with menacing looks on their faces. Without a second thought the men all jumped into the river hoping the brutal sea would be more merciful than the unforgiving villagers.

The villagers all erupted into whoops and cheers, dancing and hugging one another. Naruto supported Haku and made his way over Shikamaru's body. Hinata looked up at him with red eyes and puffy cheeks. Tazuna smiled sadly at the blond. Haku looked away.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"At least the villagers are free from Gato's grasp now." Naruto muttered quietly. "I suppose there's good in that."

"Would you all be quiet? I'm trying to sleep here."

Naruto dropped Haku (Tazuna caught her) and looked down at Shikamaru. His eyes fluttered open and he let out a big yawn. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Kami, I feel sore all over. Damn, needles they really hurt." He said pulling out one of the needles.

"You're alive!" Both Naruto and Hinata shouted in unison as they both tackled the Nara in a bear hug.

"OW! OW! Stop it! Everything hurts!" Shikmaru groaned as he was crushed alive in the arms of his comrades. They completely ignored him.

"Anko-sensei! He's alive!" Hinata called over to their sensei who ran over upon hearing this and joined the group hug. Haku, Zabuza, and Tazuna just smiled at the group. Haku in particular looked totally relived.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru smiled. The group just laughed and continued to hug him.

X.X.X

Team eight stayed a few more days in Tazuna's house celebrating with the villagers. They had finished the bridge the day after Zabuza and Haku's attack and trade had flowed into the village. Traders from all around showed up to sell their goods, or just give the villagers some food to help them recover. The celebration lasted two days and everyone was happy. Shikamaru recovered quickly and joined in the festivities. Haku and Zabuza also stuck around at Tazuna's invite and the two were welcomed them as residents of the village. Team eight left the morning after the celebration.

"Do you really have to go?" Inari asked. Naruto ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, we do. We've got to get back to our own village now. We completed the mission." Naruto shrugged.

"Finally." Shikamaru added.

"What are you two going to do now." Hinata asked turning to Haku and Zabuza.

"We plan to set up a protection unit here in wave." Haku smiled. "We'll make sure this town and others stay safe."

"We already got are first member." Zabuza said pointing at the smiling Inari. Naruto gave the boy a thumbs up.

"Glad you finally decided to do something." Naruto smirked.

"Shut up, Onii-san!" Inari shouted smiling slightly. Naruto smiled and pulled out his carrier. Two large metal claws with chains appeared in a puff of smoke and the blond dropped them before the small boy.

"Use those. Get them fitted or grow into them or something, I don't care which." Naruto said.

"Cool!" Inari said looking over the claws in wonder. Tsunami looked slightly uncomfortable at this but smiled at the group.

"Please do come visit sometime." She smiled.

"Thanks for all your help! I don't know what I could do to repay you!" Tazuna smiled.

"Paying us the rest of our fee would be nice." Shikamaru muttered.

"Goodbye, Naruto." Haku smiled. Naruto smiled back.

"Yeah, bye. I forgive you by the way." Naruto added.

"Hm?"

"For temporarily 'killing' my friend." Naruto said rolling his eyes.

"O-Oh! Right, uh, thank you." Haku bowed.

"Don't do that."

Anko smiled at their antics. But it was time to go.

"Let's go guys. I want to get back to Konoha before sunset. Run all the way there!" Anko shouted.

"What? Why?" Shikamaru asked.

"Because you guys skipped two days of training during the celebrations. Now MOVE!"

The group ran off waving back at their new friends and the villagers who had come to see them off. Mission complete. And the future looked a lot brighter for the villagers.

X.X.X

"So what are you going to do when you get back to the village, Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Anko said she'd treat me to Ichiraku's when we get home. She said she was in the mood for ramen." Naruto smiled.

"I'm only paying for eight of your bowls." Anko warned. "Last time you left me broke." Naruto chuckled.

"I'm gonna go home and catch up on some sleep." Shikamaru yawned. "Er, you mind if I stay over your house?" He asked turning to Anko. "I don't want to face my mother just yet."

"Sure, you can have the couch." Anko smiled.

"What? But I sleep there!" Naruto protested.

"Then sleep on the floor tonight!" Anko snapped.

"We're here." Hinata said as they approached the open village gates. They were all surprised when they saw Neji and Lee standing next to it.

"Hey, Genius and Bushy Brows! How's it going?" Naruto waved. The two ignored him and stepped towards Hinata.

"Hinata, come to the Hyuuga household, now." Neji said solemnly.

"W-Why?" Hinata asked.

"It's Hikari-san!" Lee said worriedly. "She had the baby yesterday!" Hinata disappeared in a puff of smoke before the green-clad nin could get out another word. Everyone made a few hand signs and followed in suit.

X.X.X

They all found Hinata talking to her father outside the medical room of the Hyuuga household. Hiashi nodded and Hinata entered the room. Anko, Naruto and Shikamaru walked up to the man.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"My wife had the baby yesterday." Hiashi said. "The baby came out safe…but…" He seemed to be holding back tears. They suddenly heard a scream inside the room and Hinata burst out of the room with tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms around Naruto and sobbed into his shoulder. Shikamaru placed a consoling hand on her back. Naruto looked up curiously at Hiashi.

"My wife died giving birth to my new daughter." Hiashi said clenching and unclenching his fists. "We tried our best to save her… but, it was no use." Hiashi let a few tears fall from his eyes. Anko placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." She said shaking her head sadly. She looked down at Hinata sympathetically.

"It's fine, Hinata. Everything's going to be okay." Naruto said trying to soothe her. She looked angrily at him.

"No it's not!" She said shaking him. "I just lost my mother! How can it be okay?!" Naruto looked at her helplessly. "How can you, who never had a mother, possibly understand what I'm going through!?

Ouch. That one hurt. Naruto looked at her sadly and her hands flew to her face. The Hyuuga girl couldn't believe what she had just said. Shikamaru removed his hand and looked at Hinata with a shocked look on his face. Anko and Hiashi just stared at the girl. Naruto eyes dulled in color as he looked at her.

"You're right. How can I understand?" Naruto said emotionlessly. Hinata clutched onto him.

"I'm sorry." Hinata whispered as she continued to sob into his shoulder. A doctor came and spoke to Hiashi placing a buddle in his arms. The Hyuuga clan head smiled slightly and looked at the bundle. The doctor scurried off.

"Hinata? Would you like to see your baby sister?" Hiashi asked. Hinata nodded and broke away from Naruto. She took the bundle in her arms and looked down at the smiling baby. Hinata smiled still crying.

"Hello, Hanabi." She sobbed holding the baby.

Naruto looked at this with a unreadable expression on his face. He could never understand how she was feeling. What she said had struck a nerve and Naruto looked down to the floor. Shikamaru looked at him worriedly.

"You okay, Naruto?" He asked.

"I can never understand." Naruto said in a deadpan voice. He shook his head. "Never." Shikamaru placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine." Shikamaru said.

"Naruto shook his head again. "No… no it isn't."

X.X.X

A/N: Yeah, probably not one of my best chapters. A few parts may have been poorly written. Oh well, my opinion doesn't matter, it's up to the reviewers.

Yep… I made Haku a demon container in my story. Unexpected? Predictable? I don't care I just did it to add to the plot. This chapter was basically made to advance the plot, give Naruto a perspective on other demon containers, get more of an idea of what the Kyuubi is doing to him, give him more powers, and a few other things that I'm not gonna say. It could spoil the story.

I'd like to give a special thanks to _Lord of the Trees _who gave me the idea for the Chakra Shot move.

Though I modified his idea a bit I really appreciate the idea he gave me! The other moves I came up with myself. Keep sending me your ideas for Naruto's Chakra moves and I may use them in my story. If you have any questions about the moves, just ask me.

Also, keep sending in your votes for who Shikamaru should end up with. It's almost decided so I just need a few more votes.

I'll try to update more often but I'm not making any promises. I will promise that it won't take me a month to update.

Anywho, read and review.

Kiiam.


	8. Secrets are bad, truth is worse Part 1

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Does saying I'm going to update soon and take this long to update again make me a hypocrite? Sorry I posted so late. I had to go away on a trip I forgot to inform you guys about and since the school year is almost over for me I've had a shitload of homework and projects to do. Plus, we had state testing so I had to study for that. I hope you guys are still interested in my story and kept faith in it. On the positive side, summer is coming up so I'll have a whole lot of time to work on this story so updates should be more frequent. Once again, sorry this took so long. Enjoy.

**Chapter 8**

Naruto closed the Unamekei clan book and laid back down on his bed. His body ached from the training he had gone through just hours before and tried his best to recollect his thoughts.

It had been months since the mission in wave country and things had progressed the same as they always had. There were a few changes to the group though. Anko had been hounding him all the time worrying about his well being and asked him what happened on the bridge. Though this was unlike the usual Anko and Naruto appreciated her concern, he decided to keep it to himself. Hinata spent almost all her spare time with her new little sister. Shikamaru remained pretty much the same and was still lazy and uncaring. Though it appeared this way, Naruto would often catch the boy with a distant look on his face as if debating something, and occasionally he caught his best friend staring at him, trying to figure him out. Though it bugged the demon container he ignored it the best he could. Hinata spent almost all her spare time with her new little sister. Seeing the joy on her face whenever she played with the baby always brought a smile whenever Naruto watched them. Hinata hadn't mentioned her mother's death since the day she died and neither had her companions. Naruto sometimes wished he had someone to play with when he was younger. Make it all easier for him. Shikamaru and Hinata had caring families but the blond had grown up without anyone. His existence was a lonely one.

Naruto often times found himself pondering on the subject of family. At first, a family to him was someone who took care of you and loved no matter what. No questions asked. But what Hinata had said to him made him think differently.

"_How can you, who never had a mother, possibly understand what I'm going through!?"_

Those were the words she had spoken. Not only that, Naruto didn't even have a family. How could he understand the sorrow she was feeling? Despite the sight of his friend crying and in pieces, he didn't feel any sadness or, as heartless as it sounds, any sympathy for the girl. Sure, he had known Hikari too. She had been a great woman and one of the first to not reject him. But it was no different than any other death, right?

Wrong. She had lost someone precious. But he had felt the same way with Shikamaru hadn't he? He felt sad and angry enough to kill. But there was more to it. A missing piece that Naruto couldn't grasp. Losing family to the cold hands of death was probably something Naruto would never understand, nor have to go through. He found himself constantly wondering about this. Did he have a family somewhere out there? Were they dead, or did they abandon him because they were too ashamed to have a demon container as a son. Naruto shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. They didn't mean much currently.

When Shikamaru died he had taken a hold of the Kyuubi's chakra, if only for a brief moment. Still, that was probably all the fur ball wanted. The Kyuubi had explained that the more of his chakra was released the more free he became and the closer he got to taking over. Naruto still didn't understand the situation to well as the Kyuubi didn't state the problem very clearly. What was proven thought, was that other bijuu existed.

Naruto had asked the old man hokage about it a few weeks after completing the mission. The man said there were nine in all and their strength depended on the number of tails they had, just like what the Kyuubi had said. Sarutobi said he didn't know the whereabouts of the other bijuu and that Naruto shouldn't worry about it. But Naruto needed to learn all about the bijuu if he was to stop the Kyuubi at whatever he was doing.

Naruto had been staying secluded in his room a lot since then only going out if it included missions or training. Occasionally he would get together with Shikamaru and they would have a hang out or sleep at the crook tree, but other than that, Naruto just sat in his bed reading his Unamekei clan book.

He spent most of his time researching new attacks and trying his best to master them. He also read a few pages of the book every now and then. The autobiography was an interesting read and it was set in the time of the great shinobi war making even more interesting. The author seemed a bit immature, but he grew as the pages went on.

Naruto sighed a turned over. All this thinking was making his head hurt. He had way too much on his mind and a whole lot to think about. He looked back up at the ceiling.

"Come to think of it… I have a mission tomorrow." Naruto thought aloud. He looked towards the clock on his nightstand and stared at the bright red numbers.

"Four o'clock… shit…"

X.X.X

Anko downed her drink and looked at her friends across the table. The senseis had all gotten together for their annual monthly get together and, as weird as it was, Anko was the most quiet for once.

If they were in her position, they would be quiet too. Anko had a lot on her mind, much like a certain blond teenager on the other side of the village. Her mind was, in fact, on that certain teenager.

Her thoughts and worries had become aware to her a few days after the mission in wave. That mission had been months ago but that had been the most dangerous mission yet and what happened to her student made all the more shocking.

She had seen it. Hell, she had felt it. Anko forgot about her battle with Zabuza the minute she felt the Kyuubi's chakra flowing in the air. The stench of bloodlust had been so thick it had even scared her. Terrified her. Though it had only been for a few moments, Anko knew every moment she felt the presence of the demon it had grown stronger. Its chakra had been poured out and the effects it had on Naruto were very frightening. She had seen the boy during his fit. He was relatively the same in appearance bar the red chakra surrounding him and the sharper features that had taken place, but his eyes had looked different.

The image she got had been burned into her mind. His eyes had chilled every part of her body. Naruto's eyes… they didn't even look like his. The pupils had been slitted and the color had gone from a flowing blue to blood red. His pupils were black, but also different. They looked like black voids that would suck you up if you looked too long. The whites of his eyes had changed to a bright blue that bordered the red giving her a strange sense of dread. Mere words could not describe it, but they looked like the eyes of a demon.

What also worried her was that Naruto had seemed to have gotten more distant and more mellow. He didn't make loud, obnoxious comments like he used to and he wasn't as much of a smartass. Whenever she made fun of him he would ignore her or he would look at her with a blank look on his face. He had changed and seemed to act a lot less lively than usual. What had happened to her student?

Anko let out a loud sigh. Where was Yamato when you needed him? She could talk about these things with him. The ANBU man had gone out on a mission leaving her to deal with her troubles and keep them bottled up. Since she couldn't talk to the hokage about it (Since he was always so busy) and Yamato was the only other person who knew of Naruto's "affliction" in depth she couldn't relieve herself and have another sympathize with her. Talking about your troubles always helped but, currently, it wasn't one of the purple-haired woman's options so she improvised – by getting drunk.

"You okay there, Anko?"

The mentioned looked up at her friends who were all staring at her. Except Kakashi, for he was lost in another Icha Icha book.

"What?" Anko groaned rubbing her temples. Kami, she had a headache.

"You've been very quiet this evening, that means something's wrong." Asuma said concerned. "Even Kakashi is more talkative tonight than you." The white haired man ignored that comment.

"Sorry, just tired is all." Anko yawned. "What we talking about?"

"We were talking about the Chunin exams coming up in a few months." Kurenai replied. "Things have gotten pretty busy for me getting ready and all. Learning the entire layout of the forest of death is not a walk in the park."

"Do you think all your kids are ready?" Iruka asked.

"Of course. I have confidence that my team will pass." Asuma smiled. Kakashi just nodded in response to Iruka's question.

"My kids are way past genin level if you ask me." Anko said smugly. "The brat could take on any chunin, Shikamaru could outsmart any chunin, and Hinata could outwit any chunin."

"Aren't outsmart and outwit the same thing?" Kurenai asked arching an eyebrow.

"Nah, they're synonyms. Outwit means outsmart and overpower." Anko smiled. Kurenai shrugged. Anko just looked at her boredly. _'Plus those kids HAVE been training in the forest of death already so the second test should be no problem.' _Anko thought smirking inwardly.

"Wow! We stayed here longer than we though!" Iruka said getting up. "It's almost half past four!"

"Guess we should get going." Kurenai said stretching.

"I'll walk you home." Asuma offered politely. Anko smirked at them.

"Asuma and Kurenai sitting in a tree." Anko mocked and sang making smooching noises.

"Real mature, Anko." Kurenai scoffed, though her cheeks were cherry red.

The group went their separate ways for the night and Anko went back to her house. As her drunken state wore off she noticed the light surrounding her. She looked at her watch.

"Five o'clock?! Shit!"

X.X.X

Anko yawned as she was handed the papers regarding the mission she had accepted. Apparently they're job was to escort a man who ran a handicapped orphanage, seeing as he had a few dozen blind and disabled kids with him, to Konoha. They were to meet him at the border of the lightning country and escort him from there. Anko looked at her team. Naruto and Shikamaru looked tired and Hinata stood next to them patiently waiting for their sensei to finish filling out the necessary paperwork pertaining to the mission. Anko rubbed her eyes. She wasn't feeling all that awake either. She turned towards her students.

"Ready to go?" She asked yawning. The trio nodded.

As they left the village Naruto overlooked a picture that had been sent to them by their client. It was a picture of a man in his late thirties surrounded by a whole bunch of kids who varied from ages five to fourteen it seemed. The man was holding a baby that looked like it was one or two years old and the child had a cloth wrapped around her eyes. Naruto noticed that all the kids had clothes around their eyes. Yet, they were all smiling contently.

"All these kids are blind?" Naruto asked not taking his eyes off the picture.

"Yep." Anko asked keeping her eyes on the road ahead of her.

"He probably wants to prevent their eyes from being damaged more or something." Shikamaru guessed.

"They're already blind. How can they get any more damaged?" Naruto asked. The Nara shrugged.

X.X.X

Many hours later, maybe eight, the group was almost to the border of lightning country. They were to meet their client in a cottage building on a hill with a candle in the window. Anko looked around searching for any signs or movements, but found nothing. The group had been relaxing and was basking in the afternoon sun. Their trek, so far, was very relaxing.

That's when Naruto felt it. A ticking in the back of his head. He stopped in his tracks. No. A demon container? Here? The boy pulled a kunai out from his pouch.

"Something wrong, Naruto?" Hinata asked taking notice to what her comrade had done. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Something's here." He growled. The others readied themselves.

"Shit! They noticed us!"

Anko threw a kunai into a tree and a man came falling out of it with Anko's kunai in his side. Another man jumped back down on the ground and started to run away, but stopped in his tracks. Behind him, Shikamaru smirked. His shadow possession had been a success.

"Dammit! My- OW! WHAT THE HELL!" The rouge ninja shrieked as Anko stepped on the kunai pressing it deeper into the man's side. The woman smiled sadistically.

"You know, it defeats the purpose if you give away your position before the enemy knows exactly where you are." Anko said smiling.

"He already found us!" The man said pointing to Naruto.

"I only said someone was here, retard. I never said I knew where you were." Naruto sighed shaking his head.

"What's a cloud ninja doing out here in the first place? Last I checked, we were still in the border." Anko said arching an eyebrow as she noticed his headband resembled that of the lightning country's hidden village.

"We don't have to tell you anything." The ninja growled. He cried out in pain again as Anko pressed the kunai deeper into his flesh. The woman shrugged.

"Hinata?"

The girl walked over and delivered a few punches to the pained ninja and knocked him out. She had already taken care of the other ninja.

"They were inexperienced." Shikamaru said. "Didn't even seem to know what they were doing."

"Why do you suppose they were out here?" Hinata asked turning to her sensei.

"It doesn't matter now, let's just keep moving." Naruto said uncomfortably. Everyone looked at him oddly. It was weird… the ticking had disappeared.

"You guys go on ahead. I gotta take care of something." Anko said glancing towards the body on the ground. The trio nodded and moved on ahead. A few minutes later Anko appeared back next to them.

"What'd you do?" Naruto asked.

"Disposed of them." Anko said grimly. "Be on your guard now. I've suddenly got a weird feeling." The group nodded.

X.X.X

Naruto looked up at the cottage before them. They got to the border and found the place no problem. The house looked like any other small cottage would. It looked very peaceful and homey as all small houses to and was surrounded in an air of tranquility and sense of safety. It was familiar feeling for Naruto. He got the same feeling whenever he was at the crook tree. Anko knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Called a pleasant voice from inside.

"Shinobi from Konoha. You asked for an escort?" Anko called back.

"Ah! Yes of course! Issac, answer the door please."

The group was slightly surprised when a boy with a cloth around his eyes and looked around the age of sixteen it seemed answered the door and smiled at them. He stepped aside to let the group walk in.

The boy led them to a room that was chock full of kids. Four kids were running around the room playing a game of tag, two others were playing game of shogi, five more were sitting around a couch talking amongst themselves, eight were in the kitchen getting something to eat, one sat in a corner reading quietly to himself, and lastly, there was a man sitting on a chair cradling a small child, no older than two, and unlike the rest of the kids she did not have a cloth around her eyes. Instead, her eyes were closed and didn't open. Somehow, she seemed to be awake. The man smiled at the foursome.

"Hello! I'm Tenju. Pleased to meet you." The man said getting up and shaking Anko's hand. "First, I'd just like to thank you all for helping me with this. There are so many of them I just couldn't take them all to fire country." The man chuckled. "Everyone! Come here and meet the nice people who have volunteered to help us!"

"So we'll be babysitting? That sucks…" Shikamaru muttered. Naruto nodded silently in agreement.

All the kids, except the one in the corner, all rushed inside the room and greeted the newcomers. Naruto was surprised at how the kids acted. He and his team were greeted with hugs and "hellos" and a few "thank yous". One kid tapped the one in the corners shoulder and he came trudging over to the group and relinquished his own greeting. The boy who answered the door, Issac, patted the boy on the shoulder.

"You'll have to excuse Azrael. He's deaf." Issac said the group. The boy, Azrael, just nodded and returned to his corner. Naruto arched an eyebrow at the boy as his brain clicked. How the hell could he be reading if he's got a cloth over his eyes?

"I'll properly introduce you to everyone later." Tenju smiled. "For now I-"

A bang was heard in the other room.

"Oh, excuse me." Tenju placed the child in Naruto's arms. "Hold her for me, will you?" The man rushed off to attend to whatever mess the kids had made.

Naruto looked down at the child. Though her eyes were closed, looked straight at him and took on a wondering, unsure expression that most young children do. She smiled up at Naruto and placed her tiny hand on his cheek and running it across his whisker marks. Naruto laughed slightly as her hand tickled his face.

"Ooh, she's so cute!" Hinata smiled looking at the child. Shikamaru just watched them with raised eyebrows. The girl kept her attention on Naruto.

"You seem to be handling her well." Anko said as she noticed the girl start to get drowsy in the blond's arms.

"That's a shocker." Shikamaru chuckled. Naruto ignored them. The girl's eyes were still closed.

"Oh, well isn't that nice." They turned to see Tenju smiling at Naruto. "She seems quite at ease around you…er…"

"Naruto." The boy answered for him.

"Right, Naruto. Could you put her to bed then? Her crib is upstairs." Tenju asked already walking away. "Miss, could you please follow me? We have things that I would like to discuss." Anko shrugged and followed Tenju. Shikamaru sighed. He felt something tug on his pants.

He looked down to see a five year old at his feet. The toddler pointed at the boy with the shogi board.

"He cheated!" The boy cried. "He switched the pieces around! Tell him to apologize!"

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome." He let the boy pull him away. A few kids started crowding around Hinata.

"Come play with us!" One smiled.

"We need one more player!" Another said.

"Alright, alright. What are we playing?" Hinata smiled as she walked outside with the kids. Naruto walked up stairs to the little girl's room. He found the crib and placed the child in it.

"Alright, kid. Time for bed." Naruto said pulling a small sheet over the girl. She started to whine. The demon container sighed and picked the girl back up. The last thing he needed was for her to start crying. Naruto spotted a chair next to the crib and sat down on it. He slowly started rocking the child back and forth. Eventually, Naruto felt the child fall asleep but he also started to feel drowsy. He looked outside to find that it was already late. The boy just fell asleep with the child still in his arms.

X.X.X

Hinata sat down panting with a large smile on her face. She looked at the children in front of her a play and her smile widened. It was nighttime but the illumination from some fireflies that started to scatter in the field kept the darkness from completely covering them. The heiress liked this mission, bar their earlier encounter with those cloud ninja.

Hinata wondered briefly why they were out there. The logical answer would be that they were on border patrol. That would be true had they not been hiding. They had been thoroughly inspecting her and her friends and if they had been border patrol they would have asked what business they had in lightning and let them on their way. No, they had been enemies, that was the only conclusion.

Hinata let her thoughts wander to the children in front of her. She watched them and a thought occurred to her. How could they play like this if they were blind?

The children all ran and wrestled with each other, smiling and laughing. Strangely enough, it seemed like they knew where they were going and who was with them. Maybe they listened with their ears since they were blind. Or maybe they knew this area by heart. Then again, she had seen a boy reading in the house. Hinata shook her head and dismissed the thought.

"Hinata-san!"

Hinata looked up and smiled at the children. They all looked very tired but wore smiles on their faces.

"We have to go in now. Mr. Tenju says we can't say up after dark." A young girl around the age of four said. Hinata stood up and brushed the grass off her clothes.

"Then let's go inside. I could tell you all a story if you want." The Hyuuga offered. The children all shouted their answer, yes.

Once inside Hinata had planned to take the children straight upstairsand put them to bed, but her attention was brought to the living room where all the children had formed a circle around two people. Hinata followed the children into the living after they noticed the commotion and joined the circle. Hinata sat by Anko and Tenju who were watching the scene amusedly.

"What's going on?" Hinata asked her sensei.

"Shikamaru and Azrael are playing shogi." Anko answered yawning.

"The children are surprised that your friend is actually winning against him. Azrael has never lost a game of shogi before." Tenju smiled.

"Neither has Shikamaru." Naruto smirked.

Shikamaru looked up at his opponent. The boy seemed to be thinking really hard. Shikamaru had already taken out all his major pieces, bar his king, and a few other minor pieces. The Nara had only lost a bishop and four pawns. Around them the children shared surprised whispers like 'he's beating Azrael?', and 'Mr. Shikamaru must be a genius!' to which the mention smiled at. Though he didn't think he was all that smart, Shikamaru appreciated the praise he got. Azrael smiled slightly and moved his piece. He was confident with his move it seemed. Shikamaru sighed and moved his queen to the corner of the board.

"Checkmate."

Azrael scanned the board slowly. Tenju raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, what do you know! This genius beat our genius." The man chuckled. Hinata and Anko clapped while the children broke out into cheers.

"Wow! He beat Azrael!"

"I always thought Azrael was the smartest! Someone is smarter!"

"No one has ever beat him at a game before!"

"Does this mean he's not a genius anymore?"

Shikamaru sighed. It really wasn't that big a deal. These kids reacted to anything. Azrael held out his hand.

"Good game." The boy mumbled quietly. Shikamaru shook his hand and stayed silent, remembering that the boy was blind and deaf.

Hinata smiled and headed up stairs when she got the children together again. She put them to bed and told them a bedtime story. It was actually about their mission in wave but she dramatized it a bit and made it less violent for the sake of the kids. She had gotten to the part where they encountered Zabuza and by then she had noticed that the kids had all fallen asleep. Hinata closed the door silently as to not wake them up and made her way back downstairs. She noticed a door that was slightly ajar. Hinata made her way over to close it but as she did she noticed someone was inside. She opened the door a bit more and smiled at what she found.

Naruto was sleeping with the baby girl on his lap. She had to admit, he looked very cute with his hair covering his eyes slightly and a small smile on his face. Hinata also thought that the child looked very content snuggled up against his chest like that. The Hyuuga heiress closed the door and made her way back downstairs.

X.X.X

Naruto stretched and looked out at the long road before them. It was already two and they hadn't gone very far. Still, they had left at noon so he couldn't expect to be anywhere near their destination after only a couple hours of their departure. They would have left sooner had they not been so sluggish. Everyone had woken up about eight and it took another thirty minutes for Naruto to drag Shikamaru out of bed. The boy hated getting up early. Hinata said she usually got up at six and that eight wasn't early but it was late in the Nara boy's book. It took about another hour and a half for breakfast since there was a lot of mouths to feed and having four extra guests didn't help things go any faster. The two hours after breakfast were spent doing morning exercises that Anko said were for making up last night's skipped training. All the children, and Tenju, had all watched their training and they all were surprised at what Anko put the teens through. The younger kids, not really understanding what was going on, just laughed and pointed at the trio's suffering. Naruto groaned wishing things could go faster. Tenju didn't have any ramen so Naruto was left to suffer. Even going a whole night without ramen was considered unacceptable to him. The minute they got to Konoha he would order twenty bowls and twenty more after that. He didn't even care if he had to pay for it all.

Naruto side glanced at his companion next to him. Shikamaru kept on yawning and it was starting to get on the boy's nerves. It also made him sleepy. Hinata was entertaining the children and Naruto wondered how in Kami's good name could be so energetic. The children seemed to give off happiness it seemed for her smiled seemed to grow every time one of the kids laughed. Shikamaru yawned again.

"Could you please shut the hell up? That's like the forty-second time you've yawned." Naruto said looking at the sleepy boy.

"You kept track?" Shikamaru yawned. Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

"No, it's just it's getting really annoying."

"Then ignore it." Shikamaru yawned again.

"Just shut up, Shikamaru." Naruto said.

"What's got you in a bad mood?" Shikamaru asked.

"I didn't have any ramen last night. I'm not exactly in the best of moods." Naruto said.

"I see." Shikamaru yawned again. Naruto yawned a second afterward.

"I don't like you." Naruto growled as Shikamaru smirked at him.

"Excuse me, Naruto was it?"

The mentioned turned to see Tenju holding a child out towards him. Naruto realized it was the same girl he had put to sleep last night. The baby was also crying.

"I can't get her to stop crying. You handled her so well last night, so could you see if you could get her to calm down?" Tenju asked sheepishly.

"Naruto's not a particularly good mood right now." Shikamaru said. "You might want to ask Hinata instead." Naruto ignored his friend and took the child from the man's arms. The three were shocked when the girl broke out into a smile and immediately stopped crying.

"What the…" Shikamaru muttered. Naruto stared at the now happy child who was reaching her tiny hands toward his face. Tenju smiled at him.

"Well, would you look at that." Tenju said. "She really seems to like you."

"Maybe it's because she can't see his face." Shikamaru smirked. Naruto glared at him.

"Would you like to name her?" Tenju asked.

Both boys looked at him incredulously. They didn't know what surprised them more, why Tenju wanted Naruto to name the child or the fact that she wasn't named at all.

"You haven't named her?" Naruto asked dumbly.

Tenju shrugged. "I've used up all the good names I can think of on the other kids. Every name I try to come up with just doesn't seem to suit this child. So what do you think, Naruto?"

"You're asking the wrong person here." Naruto said. "I ain't so good with kids or names."

"You seem could with kids since she seems so comfortable around you." Tenju said indicating the little girl. "Maybe should adopt her." The man said jokingly.

"I'm fourteen." Naruto said seriously.

"It was only a joke." Tenju said holding his hands up defensively. "I need to get back to the other kids, Issac probably has his hands full already." The man rushed off to wherever he was going.

"You? A father? I can't see that." Shikamaru said shaking his head.

"Neither can I." Naruto said looking down at the girl. She nuzzled up against his chest quickly falling asleep in his arms.

X.X.X

It was nearing nighttime and the skies were getting very cloudy. Hinata said she was sure it would rain and Naruto silently agreed with her, the sky was very dark. They were currently taking a forest path that Tenju led them into. It was supposedly a shortcut to Konoha and they had been walking for hours. Some shortcut.

"Hey, Tenju, You sure you know where you're going?" Anko asked him. The man looked at her over his shoulder.

"Positive! I've been through here before. This is where we need to go." Tenju smiled. He turned his head back towards the path. Issac bent close to his foster father.

"You sure we'll get there okay?" Issac asked looking around. "I've got a really bad feeling in my gut and we need to get to where we need to go, now."

"I know. I know." Tenju whispered. "Just keep an eye out for anything, okay? Has Azrael sensed anything yet?"

"Not yet. But he's got the same feeling I do." Issac muttered. "We're grateful for what you're doing for us, but do you think they'll find us? I don't want you to die for us."

"You have nothing to worry about Issac. I took part in your suffering and I intend to make-up for it, today."

"Guys." Both men turned to see Azrael looking up at them. "They're coming."

"Hey! What are you guys talking about?" Anko called over to them.

"Nothing! Just trying to figure out where to go next." Tenju smiled.

"You're lost?" Hinata asked.

"No." Tenju replied quickly. "We need to go that way."

"But that leads away from the path." Naruto said.

"Trust us, we know the way." Tenju assured though his voice was shaky.

It started to rain. When it started to rain they heard it. A deep, hollow sound of a horn. Naruto, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Anko all looked around trying to determine which direction the sound came from. Tenju and Issac looked nervous and the kids all huddled close to one another. Tenju pointed down the path.

"Run!"

No one but him knew what was going on. Naruto wanted to ask questions but he had no time to ask them. He got a deep, eerie feeling as they ran through the rain which turned into a downpour. He only held the little girl closer to his chest. They all came to a clearing and stopped. Someone was there.

"Hello, Tenju." The man smiled.

"K-Kaidoh." Tenju stuttered taking a step back.

"You gave us quite a hard time. The higher-ups were pretty angry. You escaped with all our experiments including our completed project. Imagine how you made me look! Oh, it wasn't a good thing, no sir." The man stared at Tenju but look in his eyes seemed to cripple the man. Tenju was very scared. "Hand over the girl. The rest are all failures."

Naruto analyzed the situation at hand. Looking at his forehead Naruto knew immediately that the man was a cloud ninja. Judging from the look on Tenju's face this guy was bad news. The one thing that confused Naruto was this talk about experiments and this 'completed project' so called. This Kaidoh guy was giving him a bad feeling. Apparently his entrance had an effect on the kids for they all had looks of fear on their faces.

"What's going on here?" Shikamaru asked placing his hand is his weapon pouch. Hinata had activated her bloodline limit, the veins around her eyes were proof of that.

"We've been caught." Tenju whispered.

"Hey! Kaidoh! I got one!"

A man appeared next to Kaidoh with a five year old boy in his grasp. The boy was crying and trying to escape his captors.

"This the one?" The man asked.

"Idiot. It's a _girl _we're looking for. Does he look like a girl to you?" Kaidoh chuckled.

"Damien!" Tenju shouted.

"Mr. Tenju!" The boy cried back. Kaidoh cracked a sinister grin.

"Find the one we want. The rest are all failures so… dispose of all of them." Kaidoh smiled wickedly. He snapped his fingers.

What the man did next would burn an image in their minds forever. An image that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Naruto watched in horror as the man pulled out a kunai and stabbed the boy right in his chest letting his dead body fall to the ground. The man smiled as the group looked at him in horror. Kaidoh only said one word.

"Trash."

That was it. It all seemed like a blur to Naruto. Dozens of cloud ninja jumped out of the trees and rushed towards them. Several ninja grabbed the children and killed them just like that. They checked them for a brief moment but then killed them. The screams were painful for Naruto. Some didn't even get a chance to scream. What monsters would mercilessly murder children like this? Naruto found himself backed up against a tree trembling with the girl still in his arms. He looked at his comrades and what he saw almost made him vomit. Hinata was trying desperately to fight off some ninja while protecting three little girls but she stood no chance. Some ninja took the three girls from behind and… Naruto looked away before he saw it. Shikamaru was clutching onto two boys while trying to fight off six ninja. More ninja came to help and the blond lost sight of his friend. Anko had engaged with Kaidoh with a look to kill in her eyes. The man's look was a look of sick entertainment. All this just amused him. It was only when a ninja appeared in front of him and raised his sword that Naruto realized his situation. He watched, as if in slow motion, as Tenju jumped in front of him and took the blow for him. The man screamed in agony. Naruto shook his head and looked at Tenju.

"RUN!" The man pleaded. "Don't let them get her! They want her!"

Naruto got up and ran off. He didn't think. He didn't feel. He just ran. He was scared. Were people really like that? What reason would those people have to brutally murder those children? Naruto held the girl tighter to his chest and kept running. He suddenly felt a striking pain in his left shoulder.

Naruto glared and ripped the shuriken out of his shoulder that did more harm than good. He looked over his bleeding shoulder to see three cloud nin chasing after him. Naruto picked up his pace. He jumped up into the trees hopping along the branches. The ninja were persistent and followed him.

"Slow down brat! All we want is the girl!"

Naruto looked down at the baby in his arms. What did they want with her?

"We'll kill you painlessly if you do!"

Naruto glared and hit a tree branch with his chakra shot attack. He jumped off it with a good amount of force and the ninja in front lost his balance since his landing ground was gone and tumbled down to earth. The other two ninja were still hot on his trail.

'_C'mon Naru, think! You need to lose these guys now!' _He thought furiously as he made his way through the trees. He twisted out of the way as he evaded some shuriken were thrown his way. This, unfortunately, made him lose his balance and he came tumbling down to the ground. Naruto flipped over in the air and landed on his back as to not hurt the girl. He winced in pain as a sickening crunch was heard.

"Broke a few bones there." Naruto groaned as he slowly stood up. The baby was shivering in his arms. The cloud ninja jumped down from the trees and landed a few feet from him. One of the ninja walked towards Naruto with his arms outstretched. Naruto bowed his head when the ninja was right in front of him.

"Seriously kid. Give it up. Just give us the girl. Is her life really worth losing yours?" The ninja asked. "We'll leave once you give us the girl. So long as you keep quiet about this."

Naruto just smirked. They really were idiots. Naruto jumped up and slashed the man across the face with his Chakra Claws. The blond laughed and used the man's falling body as a spring kicking of the man in another direction. The man yelled rolling around on the ground and clutching his face in agony and pain. His partner cursed and ran after Naruto.

The sound of rushing water became apparent to Naruto and it wasn't from the rain. The boy broke out of the brush and almost fell into a rushing river. A few feet below him he saw an enormous waterfall. He looked back to see if the cloud ninja was still chasing him. He waited a few moments and sighed. They finally gave up.

A slicing sound was heard and Naruto screamed. He fell down on one knee trying to push back the pain in his back and not drop the girl. His pursuer landed a few away from the injured boy and smiled at his bloodied sword. He pointed it towards Naruto.

"We gave you a chance, kid. You'll pay for your actions with your life." The man smirked. His comrades appeared next to him and they all circled Naruto. He had no means of escape. The man whom he cut across the face glared at the boy with murderous intent.

"I'm going to cut up more than just your face." He snarled.

Naruto looked around. He didn't have anywhere to go. If he tried to jump to the other side of the river they would kill him. Naruto sighed. There was only one way.

Without thinking twice the boy ran backwards and jumped off the waterfall. The ninja were too stunned for words.

"Chakra Grab!" Naruto shouted. A stream of chakra shot out of his hand and wrapped itself around a tree branch like a rope. Naruto hung there and looked up at the stunned ninja. The regained their common sense and started yelling at him. Apparently they were too scared to make the jump themselves.

Naruto winced as the pain in his back and shoulders intensified and spray from the waterfall splashed on him. As the rain pelted against his skin he could feel his energy slipping away.

"Can't…hold…on…" Naruto let go of his lifeline and plunged down to the earth. The rope of chakra that had saved his life dissipated as he let go. Naruto fell into the water with a loud splash and was carried downstream. The ninja cursed and headed back. Kaidoh would not be happy about this.

Naruto drifted to the riverbank and managed to haul himself out of the water. He lay the girl down beside him and was surprised he didn't let go of her.

'_Why were they after her?' _Naruto thought. They had to have some reason for doing what they did. They weren't some rouge nin that killed children for kicks, no, they were an organized group and the reason they commited this crime was beyond Naruto. The blond looked at the baby on the ground and watched her open her eyes.

It was at that moment everything became clear. Why they were attacked. Neji's words flooded into his mind and everything made sense. Those ninja had been on a mission to retrieve their completed project and dispose of all the failed projects. The little girl before Naruto had opened her eyes for the first time and he couldn't believe what he saw.

Staring up at him were the eyes of the Byakugan. This child had the Byakugan.

Naruto felt dizzy and his vision went blurry. He laid back down on the grass and let the rain wash away his blood. He felt his consciousness slipping away. Before Naruto let himself be overcome by blackness he could have sworn he felt a small clicking in the back of his head.

X.X.X

Shikamaru coughed and looked at his surroundings. He looked down at the two children clutching onto him for dear life. He sighed and kept walking.

The Nara boy had been lucky. Very, very lucky. It was a miracle he escaped in one piece and with two children no less. That was not to say he didn't come out unscathed. The boy had a deep gash in his right arm and his shoulder had been burned due to a fire jutsu. His left arm felt numb due to some sort of lightning attack one of the ninja used on him and his legs were covered in cuts and scratches. The Nara was also mad another one of his jackets had been ruined.

By chance he escaped. He had witnessed four children die at the hands of these monsters as he tried to protect three. Shikamaru caught one of the ninja in a shadow possession jutsu. Unfortunately he had failed to see one cloud ninja throw an exploding tag kunai at him. If one of the children hadn't warned him he probably would have died right there. The boy jumped back grabbing the children and making the possessed ninja jump after them. The explosion hit taking the possessed ninja with it and sending Shikamaru and the children flying off a cliff. It wasn't a steep cliff, but it did keep him rolling and had lots of tree to dodge. Shikamaru grabbed two children and pulled them close making sure they didn't hit any trees. Once they found steady ground and stopped rolling Shikamaru realized that he didn't grab the third child. He heard a thud next to him and it was the hardest thing in the world to see what had happened. The third child's body was battered and beaten and his neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. Shikamaru closed his eyes and one of the children threw up. He would never forget that.

The boy genius also knew why they were being attacked now. The clothes around their eyes had been blown off in the explosion and apparently these two children had the Byakugan eye and that led him to believe that the other children did as well. Still, these eyes were different from the pure white Hinata had.

The child on his left had red lines inside the lavender white of his eye. The other had two pure black eyes instead of white eyes. Maybe this is what those men meant by failed experiments. Did their eyes not function the way the real Byakugan did or did they just not work altogether?

The boy was glad that he had managed to escape with two of the children. Yeah, it's like he won the lottery. But the downside was he was separated from the group and had no idea where his friends were.

When he did find his friends again then he knew he'd be safe. On another note, Shikamaru really wanted to know why these children had the Byakugan eye. When he found Tenju he was going to get some answers. If he had to beat the information out of the man then so be it. Shikamaru already had a pretty good idea about what was going on but he needed confirmation to get rid of any doubts. Then again…who's to stay the man actually survived? What if his teammates didn't survive?

No, Naruto would be to stubborn to give up. Hinata, despite her frail nature, would never give up either. Her determination was limitless. Anko was a given. The woman was crazy and a kickass assassin. Shikamaru knew that she'd be okay.

Regardless of how he felt, he was more worried about himself. The forest was thick and it was still nighttime. He hated the darkness. He looked up but only saw trees. He sighed as the rain pelted his face. He could only think of one word for this.

"…Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he and the children made it deeper into the forest.

X.X.X

Hinata watched slightly in fear as her sensei yelled at Tenju who was cowering and shaking at her tongue-lashing. Issac sat beside her. His arm was wrapped in bandages and he was sitting quietly looking up at his foster father and Anko every now and then. Azrael sat near the entrance of the cave they were in and held a girl close to his side. She was sobbing into his shoulder as he stared outside and watched the rain with a distant look on his face. Another boy was sleeping in the back of the cave using Hinata's slightly torn jacket as a blanket. Hinata rubbed her arms as goosebumps started to pop up on her arms. The brown leather shirt she wore retained little heat.

They had all managed to escape with relatively few injuries bar Issac's arm, a long cut Tenju got on his chest, and Anko's shoulder wound. She herself had cuts and scratches on her hands but they didn't bother her much. Anko had managed to buy them enough time using a genjutsu to distract the cloud ninja. Hinata looked around the cave sadly and looked at Issac sympathetically. The teen's eyes were red from crying. He had witnessed all his friends die right before his eyes. Hinata had also cried. What they saw was sickening and could scar anyone. What had scared her the most was the Byakugan eye the children had. At least she knew how they did all the things they did with those pieces of cloth over their eyes.

She knew how they got it, she just refused to believe it. Did the lightning country break her family's seal? Did Neji's father die in vain? Hinata really wanted to know if her thoughts were true. Thankfully, her sensei was getting answers right now.

"Tell us!" Anko roared making everyone shake. Tenju looked down and cover his face with his hands. "What's going on?! What did those men want? Why were they after you? Why did they kill all those children?" Anko said a little more softly.

"Because I took their experiments and terminated their data." Tenju whispered.

"What?" Anko said. Hinata sat up straighter and listened to what he had to say.

"You have no idea what we've been doing in lightning country." Tenju said looking up with tears starting to well up in his eyes. "You know what we've been doing? Illegal experimenting on infants and a stolen bloodline."

"My bloodline?" Hinata asked. She prayed that she was wrong.

"Yes." Tenju said slowly. He rubbed his temples with his index fingers. "Some eleven years ago, the lightning country made a truce with Konoha and our hokage was killed by Hyuuga Hiashi. Because of this Hyuuga Hiashi's body was agreed to be turned over to us in exchange for taking our kage's life."

"Right." Anko said playing along. It had actually been Neji's father, Hizashi, but he didn't seem to know that.

"It was all a ruse. The killing of our hokage was just an excuse in order to achieve our greater goal." Tenju continued. "We had planned to use Hiashi's body to unlock the secret of Byakugan and enhance our own soldiers. But when we acquired the body and tried to experiment with it we found that the Byakugan couldn't be activated. Some sort of seal had been placed on the man's forehead that prevented us from using the Byakugan for our own needs and purposes. We were faced with an obstacle that was difficult to overcome. I was one of the scientists that was picked for the project. It took many years to get the results we wanted."

"You broke the seal?" Hinata asked astonished.

"Not entirely." Tenju said shaking his head. "We tried experiments on many children that were taken away from their parents. Even some orphans." Hinata gasped at this. Anko glared at him disapprovingly. "Each experiment almost always ended in failure. The children I had with me were about one fifth of the amount of children we had used in experiments. The others all died of disease and after effects or during experimentation. Even those that lived had defects."

"Example?" Anko asked.

"Issac has only one Byakugan eye. The other is normal. He was the closest we got to succeeding. He can pinpoint a person's weak point and can systematically destroy bones in the body." Tenju said turning towards the elder boy. Issac smiled sheepishly. "Azrael's Byakugan is on both his eyes and he can see miles away. He can also sense the presence of others and pinpoint their location." Azrael seemed not to hear this. Oh right, he was deaf. "Marcus can send out sonic booms using his eyes. He can see the air around him and shape it into a projectile." He gestured to the sleeping boy. "Saki can use her eyes for healing purposes. She can see and detect problems external and internal. We were trying to apply this skill so she could be a medic nin. She's a quick worker." Tenju pointed towards the girl Azrael was holding.

"Did you ever succeed in completely copying the Byakugan?" Anko asked.

"Yes." Tenju sighed. "The girl. The baby girl that I gave to Naruto. She is the result of all our hard work. The only successful experiment and the only one who has the perfect Byakugan. We completely copied the Byakugan and even made some enhancements. The child we used was newborn and we succeeded in doing this about a year ago. Finally, we had achieved our goal."

"…But?"

"But what?"

"Why did you betray your village?" Anko yelled. "You worked so hard to accomplish what they wanted. You betrayed your own village for a couple of kids. Why?"

Tenju sighed heavily. "Ever since I began working for them and started doing the experiments I've always had negative thoughts on using a dead body and stealing its secrets. I had problems with taking away children, even if they were orphaned. Seeing so many innocent children die with their whole lives in front of them made me crack, I guess. I didn't think we should be using someone else to accomplish our own goals. We acquired that Hyuuga's body through a lie, you know. And who were we to take life from these children? After test subject HK-106 was completed, the baby girl, talk was going around that we would dispose of all failed test subjects. I couldn't see any more children die, so I liberated all the remaining children and terminated the data we had acquired from all our experimenting. I even burned Hyuuga Hiashi's body so no child would die or suffer because of our selfishness ever again. I escaped and hid for many, many months. Eventually, I managed to send out a letter requesting an escort to Konoha. I figured I'd be safe there with the children. I would go into hiding again and live peacefully with the children." He looked around the cave sadly. "When I rescued them, they had such looks of joy on their faces. They were so happy to finally be free. Some of the children even started to call me 'Daddy'. I was their savior. But look now…only four remain. In the end, I was caught and more children were killed. I-I couldn't save them. I tried to do things quietly so I wouldn't endanger them or get Konoha involved. I wasn't their savior. Not even close." The man broke out into sobs. Issac walked over to the man and wrapped his arm around him trying to console him.

Anko sighed and looked around the cave. Azrael pulled Saki closer as her sobs became louder and more frequent. Marcus shivered violently as a cold breeze swept through the cave. Hinata looked like she was on a whole planet altogether. This must have hit her pretty hard. Looks like their attempts to protect the Byakugan had caused many to suffer, and it didn't help that the cloud nin had succeeded in copying the Byakugan. It even seemed, based on what Tenju said, they had succeeded in improving the completed Byakugan. At least all the data had been terminated and Hizashi's body was burned preventing them from ever using the Byakugan again, but it was still a terrible thing. At least they only made one copy and no more. Good thing Naruto had taken the girl and escaped so they couldn't-

Then everything snapped. The gears in Anko's head started spinning and it became apparent to her. She looked around the cave again.

"WHERE'S NARUTO?!" She blurted out making everyone jump. She hauled Tenju up by his collar and stared straight into his eyes.

"Where…is…Naruto?" She said violently making him shake.

"A-As I t-told you, I-I gave the g-girl to him. I-I protected him f-from a ninja and h-he ran off. I-I blacked out s-so I don't know w-where he went b-but I saw th-three ninja go a-after him before I p-passed out." Tenju stuttered, completely scared to death.

"Shit!" Anko cursed dropping the man. "He's who knows where and ninja are after him! Do you realize that because he has what those nin are after it'll put him at the top of their hit list? Did you ever think of that? Anko roared. Tenju looked miserable.

"That way."

Everyone turned and looked at Azrael. He continued to stare outside the cave. He pointed northwest.

"He is about nine miles that way." Azrael said. He fell silent after that. His eyes were a dark blue but faded back to Byakugan white a second later.

'_So that's how his Byakugan works.' _Anko thought to herself. "At least we know where he is now. Hinata, you and me can-"

When she turned around, the Hyuuga girl was not there. Anko ran to the entrance and started yelling her name. No reply reached the woman's ears.

"Great, now not one, but TWO of my kids are missing." Anko growled menacingly pacing back and forth. Her eyes widened and she looked around the cave again. A colorful string of curses left her mouth.

"WHERE'S SHIKAMARU?!" Anko screamed.

Azrael closed his eyes. He was lucky he couldn't hear at this moment for anyone's ears would be bleeding if they were in the cave at that moment. Saki was the only one that didn't seem to notice and she looked up at Azrael through tearful eyes.

"Azrael, do you think we'll be okay?" Saki asked fearfully.

The boy seemed not to notice. He just opened his eyes and continued to stare outside. Saki laid her head against his shoulder as he pulled her closer. Of course, how could she forget? He was deaf, he could not hear her.

X.X.X

Naruto peeled his eyes open and looked at the rocky ceiling above him. It was illuminated in a red glow and he could hear crackles and snaps in the distance. The blond could also hear some faint whining. He opened his eyes and sat up groggily.

'_Am I dead?' _He thought to himself.

"Oh, you're awake."

Naruto turned around to see a man in his late twenties smiling at him. The man wore a purple coat with a green and orange pattern going through it. It only covered his left side though as the right side of the coat seemed to have been torn off revealing a part of his chest and right arm that had a few scars running across it. Naruto arched an eyebrow as he noticed all the scars were a strange shade of green. The man wore baggy, blue leather pants and sandals. He had a friendly expression on his face and strummed a guitar that hung around his shoulder. He brown, shaggy hair and some peach fuzz on his chin and upper-lip. His carefree and lazy expression made Naruto relax. A fire was in between him and the man and he realized that he was in a cave. His brain started working again and some questions popped into his mind. Where was he, how did he get here, who was this person, and where was the baby girl with the Byakugan eye?

"Your child is over there." The man said pointing to the buddle that was wrapped up in a blanket next to him. "I tried to get her to calm down but she just wouldn't stop whining."

Naruto picked up the girl and she immediately stopped whining. She smiled contently and snuggled into Naruto's chest. He smiled slightly as the man arched an eyebrow at him.

"You certainly seem to handle her well." The man said thoughtfully. "But you seem no older than fourteen. Are kids really getting married that young these days?"

"No, the guy I was escorting dumped me with her and I ran off with her. I was running from some cloud nin that wanted to kidnap her and kill me." Naruto replied with a slight tinge of pink grazing his cheeks.

"You don't say." The man said quietly. They both sat in silence. The only sound was the cracks and snaps of the fire that echoed through the cave.

"I'm Heath." The man said smiling. "I found you a little ways from here passed out on the ground with her." He gestured towards the girl. "I took ya here and patched up all your wounds. At least now I know where you got 'em!" The man laughed heartily. Naruto smiled too. Without knowing it, the man had already answered his four questions.

"What's your name, kid?" Heath asked.

"Naruto." The boy replied.

"Well, Naruto." Heath said still laughing. "Judging by your wounds, I'd say those ninja really did a number on ya, didn't they?"

"I could have taken those ninja if I hadn't been carrying her." Naruto said looking down at the girl who started chewing on his shirt. Heath grinned.

"Full of yourself, aren't you?" Heath said grinning.

"No, seriously." Naruto scoffed. "I'm pretty damn strong, and those ninja were trash."

"I guess I could expect that talk from someone who's from the Unamekei Clan." Heath smiled. Naruto's eyes widened.

The boy stared at the man's smiling face. How did he know he was from the Unamekei Clan? He was the last of his kind!

"How did you know I was from the Unamekei Clan?" Naruto asked. "They're supposed to be extinct. I'm the last one of the clan."

"I had a feeling." Heath replied casually.

Naruto stared a heath through narrowed eyes. He suddenly didn't feel so safe with this guy. "Why did you help me?"

"Just wanted to help out someone who's like me." Heath smiled. Naruto looked at him oddly. What did he mean by-

It all clicked. It literally clicked. Naruto vaguely remembered feeling a ticking in the back of his head before he passed out. It was now that he became aware that it was still there. He scooted back a bit and stared at the smiling man.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"I'm Heath, container of the Yonbi no Sokuo." Heath grinned. "And you are the container of the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko."

X.X.X

A/N: Finally, done! This chapter is okay… The beginning and transitions were a little shabby but I guess this turned out alright.

I should work on this story more often. I'm getting more reviews than I thought I would (As this is my first fanfic) and I'm very grateful to all of you who have reviewed. After next chapter I will start on the Chunin Exams. This part and the second part of this mission are vital to the plot, so be patient. I have tons of crazy ideas for the Chunin Exams that I think you'll all love. There will be lots of surprises during the exams. And to tidy you guys over I've got a little surprise for next chapter.

I hope you guys don't think I'm sick because of that little scene where all those kids died. I'll never do anything like that again. Still, I bet you all weren't expecting those kids to have the Byakugan! Or maybe ya did…

Anywho, keep sending your ideas in for Naruto's Unamekei Clan moves. If I think it's good, I'll use it. A few more votes on who Shikamaru should be with would also be appreciated.

Sorry for taking so long to update, and thanks for reading. Please leave a review. (Or you will wake up and find both your arms are missing)

Kiiam


	9. Secrets are bad, truth is worse Part 2

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N: Well, I think I uploaded this chapter in good time. I would have uploaded this earlier, but there was a few things I had to add here and there to make it good. Still…it wasn't even supposed to be this long. Do not expect my chapters to be this long again. My fingers hurt. And just a reminder, Haku is a girl in my story and She is the container of the three-tailed bijuu, the Sanbi no Isonade. Enjoy.

**Chapter 9**

Naruto stared at the man in front of him. The ticking in the back of his head started to grate on his nerves and the nervousness he was currently feeling did not help in ignoring the small tick. The Yonbi no Yokuo container smiled at the Kyuubi no Yoko container and looked back towards the fire. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him. Why was he not attacking him?

Why should he be? Naruto suddenly thought that just because this man in front of him was a demon container doesn't mean that he would attack. Still, his encounters with demons hadn't really given him a great first impression. Haku had been pleasant at first but almost killed him during their second encounter. The Kyuubi was doing something to him that he didn't quite know about yet, but it was obvious that the fur ball's intentions were bad. His recent encounters with he fox had left him more than a little scared of the demon. Then again, Haku hadn't really attacked him just to kill him. She did it for Zabuza. And come to think of it, the Kyuubi hadn't spoken to him since the mission in wave.

"What's the matter, Naruto?" Heath asked smiling up at him. "Why so uptight all of a sudden?" Naruto glared in response. Heath sighed.

"I thought you would be more friendly towards me considering the fact that we both have the same 'affliction' and that I saved your life." Heath shrugged. "Guess you are a little uncomfortable around demons and demon containers? I was the same way too for a while."

Naruto relaxed a little bit. It was true that they were the same, but that was what worried him. Was he the same as the Kyuubi? Did his demon torture him too, or was it inert like Haku's? Then again, if Heath did have bad intentions he probably would have left him to die by the waterfall. Naruto sighed and scooted closer to the fire. His clothes were still a little bit damp.

"You know, even if I were to attack you right now you would probably kick my ass. My demon only has four tails." Heath said calmly.

This didn't exactly help Naruto relax. Haku had the three-tailed demon and she had been pretty damn strong. If Heath was the four-tailed demon container then he would be more powerful than Haku. The question was, how much more powerful?

"How did you know I was a demon container?" Naruto asked.

"Got this little ticking in my head that acts up whenever another container is close." Heath said. "Do you have the same problem?"

"Yeah. Though I didn't notice until you said something." Naruto mumbled. Heath laughed.

"Well, you don't need to be so cautious around me, Naruto." Heath grinned. "I'm no threat to you, and I only fight when provoked. Nomads like myself prefer to keep things friendly and peaceful, not tense and violent."

"So you're a traveler?" Naruto asked.

"Yep. Don't got a home. But it doesn't bother me much." Heath smiled. "Make lots of friends this way."

They sat in silence for a while. The only sounds were the fire's crackles and the baby girl's light breathing. She had fallen asleep in Naruto's arms.

There were a lot of question's popping into the blond's mind. Almost all of them regarding his demon fox problem. In front of him was a person who probably dealed with the problems he was dealing with right now. Heath had to have lived with his demon for a long time so he was sure to know all about the bijuu. Naruto just didn't know how to present the subject. Was the man as uncomfortable about the subject as he was? It sure didn't seem like it.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask them." Heath said as he poked the embers of the fire with a stick. Naruto was a little more than freaked now. Could he read minds?

"What is your demon?" Naruto asked.

"I don't really know myself." Heath said thoughtfully. "Never could figure out what he was. Always concealed in shadow. Only saw his eyes."

"Have you ever talked with your demon?"

"Many times."

"What's your relationship with the Yonbi?" Naruto asked. He was expecting some sort of answer like, "He tortures me every night in my dreams and berates me all the time. I lie awake in fear every night afraid that he might devour my soul". The answer, however, was the total opposite.

"We're good friends." Heath said casually.

Naruto's jaw dropped. This guy had to be screwing with his head. Friends with a demon? How the hell was that possible? Didn't this guy have any problems with his demon? The Kyuubi was a sadistic bastard who was trying to corrupt him with his own chakra. Though there were no side effects yet, Naruto knew the Kyuubi was doing something to him that would somehow get the Kyuubi out of his imprisonment in some form or sense. The blond found it very hard to believe that a human could make friends with a demon. Just as Naruto opened his mouth to speak, Heath interrupted him.

"Don't get me wrong, it wasn't always like this." Heath said. "It was only just a few years ago that we came to terms with each other. You should have seen what I was like before." Heath shook his head. "I was a mess."

"What did the Yonbi do?" Naruto asked.

"Made me go insane." Heath replied. "It wasn't immediate though. I first learned about the creature when I was about ten years old. Every now and then I would find myself in some sort of forest. Everything was dark and that was where the Yonbi resided in my mind."

"A forest?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Yes. I came to call it my mindscape." Naruto's eyes widened at this. "There, I always found the Yonbi in this huge tree at the center of the forest. I hear his voice from above. I think he must be in the trees branches. I tried climbing up the tree once. I never could seem to get to the top."

"I have a mindscape too." Naruto said. "I always go to this place with metal walls and there are long corridors that leads to the Kyuubi's cage. Above me are pipes that channel my chakra."

"Funny, my chakra is in the shape of leaves." Heath said.

"Leaves?"

"Yeah. You know how I find the Yonbi's tree? I follow a trail of leaves that glow a faint blue color. The Yonbi told me they symbolize my chakra."

"Weird."

Heath chuckled. "Back to our previous topic, the Yonbi would talk to me every now and then, telling me it could help me get back at those who treated me badly. You see, I was discriminated against when I was a kid because I housed the Yonbi no Yokuo."

"…Just like me." Naruto muttered.

"I listened to him. He made me." Heath sighed. "I really did hate the villagers though. I tried to tell myself that my hating them was just plain distaste towards them, but I hated them with every fiber of my being. The reason I didn't take the Yonbi's offer right away is because I knew this demon just wanted to cause havoc. I knew that would be wrong, but I can almost say I didn't care. When I was fifteen, I almost lost myself. I almost completely gave myself up to the demon. But one person stopped me."

"Who?"

Heath smiled warmly. "My wife."

Naruto looked at him oddly. "Your…wife?"

"I was walking home at the time. I took notice of some boys harassing a girl that looks not much older than myself. I sent them packing when they didn't leave her alone. She thanked me and introduced herself. We went our separate ways. Occasionally, I would bump into her around town and we would talk. These talks turned into friendly conversations, those conversations turned into hang outs, and the hang outs turned us into the best of friends."

'_That's kinda how it was for me a Shikamaru.' _Naruto thought. _'He is also my best friend.'_

Naruto tuned out for a minute as he thought this. Where was the lazy boy? Did he escape or was he slaughtered like all those children? His thoughts wandered to Hinata and Anko. He didn't worry about his sadistic sensei much but he did worry about Hinata. The girl was tough, he acknowledged that, but against that many ninja was a fight she could never win. Anger began bubble up inside him. The thought of his friends lying in a pool of blood made him want to slaughter ninja and snap necks. He would pay them back for every drop of blood that was spilled and increase their pain tenfold.

"Naruto? Naruto? Hello?"

Naruto snapped out of his trance and found Heath staring at him with an odd look on his face. His carefree smile was gone.

"You cool?" The man asked.

"Yeah, just zonked out a little bit there. Sorry." Naruto apologized. He overlooked him a bit more but then cracked a grin.

"You shouldn't worry about your friends. I'm sure they're just fine." Heath smiled. Naruto looked at him oddly. Could he seriously read minds?

"Anyway," Heath continued. "She was the first person that didn't treat me like trash. Her smile always made me smile and my smile always made her smile. Soon, that friendship turned into love and we got married when we were young adults. I was twenty-three, she was twenty-two. But then again, age doesn't really matter right now, does it?" Heath smiled. Naruto smiled slightly.

"But our love didn't block out the Yonbi. Oh no, it talked to me more and more and each time I would ignore him. Until one night." Heath sighed slowly.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"Ever since my wife and I were wed, and even before then, people were hostile towards us. They were hostile towards me because, as I said, am a demon and they feared and hated me for that. My wife had been marked as a demon _sympathizer _and was thought to also be in the same boat as me. One night, all the villagers came to our house, men, women, and even children, armed to the teeth with knives, pitchforks, and any other weapon they could get their hands on. Their fear and hatred of me had finally caused them to go off the deep end. They were going to kill me."

Naruto thought about Haku. She had told him her father had tried to kill her along with the villagers. Hate and fear drove people to do the unthinkable, even kill their own child. Would the Konoha villagers do the same to him one day? Naruto sure hoped not.

I tried my best to protect my wife and cause as little damage as I could, but that weakened my guard. If it had been just me I may have been able to stop them. A man had crept up behind us and stabbed my wife in the shoulder. The words he said to her and me drove _me _off the deep end. It all seems like it happened in a blur when I think about it. I found myself at the Yonbi's tree, his voice sounded different. It sounded nice, and understanding. I wouldn't let them hurt my wife or me. I surrendered myself to the Yonbi and I changed. I can't even remember what I did, but I know what happened. I slaughtered them all. Some ran and got away, but I caught most. I think I would have completely lost it had my wife not intervened." Heath took in a shaky breath and his eyes got glassy. "I heard her shout my name and I was brought back reality. It hit me hard. I found my hand through her chest and many people around me dead. The air was thick with the smell of the dead. I could even feel the bloodlust I had when I had lost it. My wife had dove in front of me to save a child whom I was about to kill. The child ran off and I withdrew my hand from my wife's chest. As I cried, she smiled at me and said she didn't mind dying like this. I didn't know why she said that, but it's what she said. She told me never to give into my demon again. If I did that, she could die peacefully. She, and our unborn baby, died that night."

"She was pregnant? You never said that!" Naruto said astonished. Heath ignored him and continued.

"I buried her and the villagers I had killed. Our backyard was turned into a cemetery. I was still angry and realized it was my weakness that got her killed." Heath sighed. "I confronted the Yonbi. I fought him."

"You…fought him? How?" Naruto asked.

"I climbed the tree." Heath said. "I climbed all the way up to the top and fought him. I the battle was fierce, but I fought him and won. I knew I couldn't kill him, but I knew I could gain dominance. I still remember what happened after I beat him." Heath smiled. "I held him up by his throat. He had turned into a creepy looking pale green man with a white mask that only showed his eyes, but he looked like a demon." Naruto's eyes widened at this. He remembered the boy with red eyes. "He laughed. He laughed and congratulated me. I had been shocked and let go of him. We sat down and talked. It was the most interesting talk I had ever had. He talked about what he was like before and how he came to be with me. As much as I hate to admit it, he made me laugh and I started to like him. It was then that we became friends. All because I had claimed dominance. I found he was no different than me. So I guess that's how I became a nomad. He wanted to travel, and I had nowhere to go. We had become friends." Heath finished.

He noticed Naruto looking at him with look of pure bewilderment. Naruto shook his head and laughed lightly.

"No way. I can't believe that. He tortures you for years and years, he leads to the killing of your wife and the villagers, and you BEFRIEND the Yonbi?" Naruto almost yelled in disbelief. "I know what demons are like, I have to live with one, and I know he isn't gonna get all friendly after you beat him! You forgave and befriended him after he took everything from you. I can't believe that."

"I didn't quite believe it either." Heath smiled. "Sometimes, when I think about it, it doesn't make any sense. Why did I befriend him? The Yonbi was different than he appeared. He was actually a very friendly guy before he was sealed. He didn't go into to detail, he didn't even know how he became evil, but befriending him made me stronger."

"How?" Naruto asked. The girl started to stir in his lap.

"Well, for one thing I get to share his immense chakra reserves." Heath said. "And I get some of his power. Plus, it's impossible for me to shift into a demon again."

"Shift into a demon?" Naruto asked.

"The Yonbi told me many things. Told me about other bijuu and what they do. What the demon and the container are both capable of." Heath said. "He told me about the three forms of the Demon Shift."

"Demon…Shift?" Naruto said. What the hell was that?

"There are three forms to it." Heath said. "First form is something you've already experienced, the Partial Shift. It's when the container absorbs some of the demon's chakra and uses it for his or herself. As such, the container's features sharpen and change, only slightly though. You still have control over your mind and actions though."

Naruto thought back to the battle on the bridge in wave. It was true that he had absorbed and used the Kyuubi's chakra. He was conscious while he used it and had known that his nails had grown into points, his teeth became sharper, his whisker marks grew, and his hair turned slightly more wild. He also felt the immense power he had gained. So that was called "Partial Shift", huh?

"How do you know I went through Partial Shift?" Naruto asked. Heath sighed.

"Because more of the Kyuubi's chakra gets released each time you use it." Heath said. Naruto's eyes widened. "Before I go into detail on that, I should tell you about Complete Shift."

"What?"

"As the name suggests, it's when you completely give yourself up to the demon inside you. I went through it on that night I killed my wife and slaughtered all those villagers. Complete Shift turns you into a replica of the demon's animal, though your appearance will only be a fraction of the animal's original size. You will completely lose your conscious mind. The demon will be in control." Heath said. "Complete shift will also leave a mark on your body. A mark left by the demon. When…if…you return to your human form, a mark will be left to show that Complete Shift has taken place. These green scars all over my body are proof of the shift." He gestured to the green lines across his skin.

"What's the last form of the Shift?" Naruto asked leaning forward.

"Not so fast," Heath smiled. "Don't you want me to answer your last question?"

"Huh?"

"About how I knew you went through Partial Shift?" Heath said.

"Oh, right, sure." Naruto said impatiently. All this was starting to get on his nerves.

"I can tell because the Partial and Complete Shifts are linked together." Heath said solemnly. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him. "Think about it, Naru. The Partail Shift gives you the immense power of the demon you have. If it gives you so much power, why not use it all the time?" Naruto nodded understandingly. "I'll tell you why. You see, like Complete Shift, Partial shift also leaves a mark on the body, though it's considerably smaller and unnoticeable than a mark from Complete Shift. It also does not happen as often. Let's say you used Partial Shift once, and you were marked. It would take four more Partial Shifts to leave another mark. But, in a sense, Partial shift is more dangerous than Complete Shift."

"How?" Naruto asked.

"Well, with Complete Shift, you'd eventually return to normal. But every time Partial Shift takes place…the more your demon takes over." Heath sighed.

"B-But how? The seal I have keeps the Kyuubi locked up! Keeps him away from me! How can he-" Naruto stopped when Heath held his hand up.

"I would expect you to think so. Originally, yes, the seal would keep the demon locked up inside you without causing the container any discomfort or harm from your demon. But, seals are not unbreakable. Seals can be broken, Naruto." Heath said it while putting emphasis on the last sentence. Naruto looked down at the girl in his lap. She was awake now.

"The seal can only be broken by the container, or rather, be weakened." Heath continued. "With Partial Shift, you use a large portion of the demon's chakra. The demons are smart. Somehow, for reasons I don't know, whenever the container goes into Partial shift, when the container releases some of their demon's chakra, the demon somehow weakens the seal containing it. Now, the seal cannot be completely broken, so the demon cannot break free of the container, but this makes things even more dangerous for the container."

"The demon would still be trapped because of the seal even if it's weakened, right? You did say it couldn't be broken by the demon but by the container, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but the bijuu are smart. They can…improvise in a sense." Heath said thoughtfully. "The demon can, if the seal is weakened enough, completely take over the host's body." Naruto's eyes almost seemed to pop out of their sockets. He involuntarily began to tremble. He remembered the Kyuubi's words.

"_**Your powers breaking away from the seal also weaken the seal, Kit. It allows me to release my chakra just like you. But since the seal is not completely destroyed, I can't release my chakra all at once. I'll have to take it step by step. Once I release enough chakra I'll make my move. I'll be free once again and your strength, powers, and body will be mine."**_

Naruto now understood the Kyuubi's words. The fur ball had told him in a way that was hard to understand, but Naruto mentally kicked himself for not understanding before. Everything was slowly starting to make sense. He shut his eyes as he started to tremble more violently. The girl in his lap looked up at him with an unsure, worried expression.

"I guess it makes things even worse since you're from the Unamekei Clan." Heath sighed. "The clan's bloodline allows them to release large amounts of chakra. Guess the Kyuubi can use this to his advantage which makes Partial shift all the more dangerous for you. If the seal is weakened to much, then the demon can initiate Complete Shift. However, if the seal is weakened to much, then there's no going back when Complete Shift takes place. You will not turn into an animal version of the bijuu, but the bijuu will become you and your conscience will fade away. The container dies, but the bijuu lives on using your former body as it's own. There will be no going back."

Naruto clutched his head and mumbled under his breath. The girl wrapped her tiny arms around the blond as if to console him. The boy kept shaking.

"Ah, that's not to say that the Kyuubi will take over your body Naruto." Heath said quickly waving his hands. "You've only gone through Partial shift once. It only left a minor mark and that's it! No side effects!"

"…"

"Naruto?"

"What mark?" Naruto said quietly. Heath lowered his head a bit.

"You haven't noticed yet?" Heath asked. "Well, I guess I can understand why. It is only your eyes after all. Very small."

Naruto ran outside with the girl in his arms. He could hear the river close by. The rain had finally stopped but the clouds showed that it could rain again. Naruto set the girl down next to him and looked at his reflection in the river. He had to look hard, but he saw it.

His pupils were slitted.

They looked like black needles within the ocean blue of his eye. It wasn't much, he knew that, but this made his mind wander.

What if he went through Partial Shift again? Heath said that it wouldn't do anything more to him, but he did say that because he was of the Unamekei Clan that the Kyuubi could release more chakra when Partial Shift took place. What would the next mark be like? Would it be small like this one? Would his ears get a little pointed? Would his teeth get sharper? His thoughts wandered to the boy inside his mind. Would he look like him? Red hair, red cheek marks, white skin, sharp, deadly features, and a face that made him look like a demon? He didn't want to change. He didn't want to become the Kyuubi.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked back in the water. Slitted pupils. He rubbed his eyes harder. Still slitted. He slapped his reflection in the water making it disappear. He knew he still had slitted pupils.

Naruto clutched his head with his hands and moaned silently. The girl crawled over to him and patted his leg. She made a soft whistling sound that seemed like an attempt to comfort him. Naruto wrapped the girl up in his arms and hugged her. The girl blinked a few times in confusion but smiled and wrapped her small arms around his torso. They stayed like that for a while.

Eventually, Naruto got up, still holding the child, and headed back to the cave. Heath looked at the blond as he sat down. The man stared at him seriously.

"So, have you come to terms with your situation." Heath asked.

"No." Naruto said truthfully hugging the child close to his chest.

"I guess I can't really sympathize with you. I came to terms with the Yonbi long ago, so I'm really not in any danger." Heath said. "You, however, are another story."

"I afraid that I wouldn't be able to control him." Naruto muttered. "He's cunning. He's smart. The fur ball told me about this before, I just didn't understand him at first. Heath, thanks for telling me all this, but I kinda wish you hadn't told me." Naruto laughed weakly. "It's funny. That fur ball raised me. Trained me to be strong. I thank him for that. He made my life hell, always yelled at me and called me weak. Still, he was the only one I had when I was little. I guess…I always thought, in a sick, sadistic sense, that the fur ball was my friend…but that's not true. It was never true. He just wanted me to be strong for himself. Who would have thought after all this time he would have me scared of him. I'm afraid of myself. It's funny in a sick way."

"Maybe you're crazy?" Heath said grinning.

"Maybe." Naruto said quietly, silently agreeing with himself. He looked up at Heath. "How did you know I way from the Unamekei Clan anyway?"

Heath smiled. "Because my wife was from the Unamekei Clan."

Naruto's eyes widened for a moment, but he smiled a second afterward. "So does this make us like, clan-brethren-in-laws or something?" Naruto asked smiling lightly.

"Perhaps." Heath smiled. He looked back at the child. "I'm worried for her."

"Why?" Naruto asked. The child started chewing on his shirt again.

"Don't know, I just do." Heath shrugged. "But pay no attention to it." He got up and started heading out of the cave.

"Where you going?" Naruto called also getting up.

"I'm a nomad Naruto. A wanderer. I can never stay in the same place for very long." Heath replied. "I've got to go."

"But you never told me what the third form of Demon Shift was!" Naruto said remembering that there were three forms and he only heard two.

"You don't have to worry about that one." Heath smiled. "No one has ever shifted into the third form…ever."

"What is it?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Bond Shift." Heath smiled.

"…What?"

"Bond Shift is when you completely come to terms with your demon and you fuse with the demon." Heath said. "He will be you, and you will be him. It is when both host and demon feel complete respect and trust towards each other and their souls fuse together as a result, creating an ultimate life form."

"But…then wouldn't you be fused with the Yonbi then?" Naruto asked in astonishment.

"Of course not!" Heath laughed. "We may be friends, but I wouldn't trust the demon with my life. I don't even know what he really looks like! We get into fights, and disagree on many things. I could never go through Bond Shift with him."

Naruto lowered his head. Heath had told him many things about bijuu. Questions that he had always wanted to be answered. Still, though he understood more, he still felt just as confused as he did before he knew of his situation. He was very thankful to Heath regardless.

"Is there anything else about bijuu that I should know about?" Naruto asked.

"There is, but you do not need to know it now." Heath smiled. His carefree smirk made Naruto smile too. "I very glad that I met you, Naruto. My wife was a great woman, and seeing someone from her clan brings me great joy. I'm glad I have a friend like you."

"Me too, Heath." Naruto smiled. "Thanks for everything you told me."

"I do hope that we cross paths again, which I'm certain we will." Heath grinned. "Goodbye, Naruto Uzumaki. And goodbye…er…what's the child's name?" Heath asked pointing to the girl who was smiling at him.

"Um…she doesn't really…have a name." Naruto said sheepishly.

"You didn't name her?" Heath asked in astonishment. He looked away for a moment, as if debating something, then looked back at Naruto. "Well…do mind if…I named her?" Heath asked nervously. He looked as if he had just committed a crime.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't see why not. I suck with names, so I'd be great if you could find a good name for her."

Heath smiled. "Good! Her name will be…Anna." He nodded his head.

Naruto looked up thoughtfully. Anna. He looked back at the child. She looked up at him and smiled. Naruto smiled back. She was cheerful, innocent, curious, a cute face, and brought a smile to Naruto's face. Yeah, Anna seemed to suit this child.

"Hey, ya hear that?" Naruto said looking at the child. "Your name is Anna now, got it?" The girl looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. She broke out into a wide smile.

"An…na…Anna!" Anna chirped clapping her hands together. Naruto raised his eyebrows at the child and Heath laughed.

"What a smart girl!" Heath laughed. "Take good care of her, Naruto. She seems to love you very much."

"I don't think that much." Naruto said. This theory was contradicted as the child threw her arms around his neck and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Naruto sighed. "Okay, maybe a whole lot." The girl nuzzled his chest in contentment.

"I have to go now. You should probably find your friends too. Also, you're near the far east border of the fire country." Heath said handing him a map. "You're closer to Wave than you are to Konoha. Just thought you should know where you are." Heath made his way outside. Naruto's voice made him stop.

"Anna…it's a good name. Where'd you get it?" Naruto asked standing beside his fellow demon container.

"It's actually a common name." Heath smiled. "But…it was my wife's name."

Naruto smiled. "I see…I guess I'll see you around then?"

"Definitely."

"See ya later, Heath!" Naruto yelled jumping into the trees and headed off to find his friends.

"Goodbye, Naruto!" Heath called after him. He turned around and went on his way.

"We finally caught up to you."

Heath stopped in his tracks. It began to rain again. It was a downpour. Two figures stood a distance away from him. They were cloaked in black cloaks with red clouds on them and were wearing hats that protected their heads from the rain. They both, however, removed their hats.

"You made us come all the way out to lightning country. It wasn't very good making us travel all this way, un." One of them said. His blonde fringe fell over his left eye.

"Actually, you were already in lighting country when you last saw me. That was about a day ago…so you must not have traveled that far." Heath replied wagging his finger. His back faced the two men.

"Silence." The other with red hair said. He dropped a wooden figure next to him. He brushed some of his red hair back. "It's time we finish this, once and for all."

"Ha, ha. But this has only just begun." Heath chuckled turning towards them. "You've still got a long ways to go even after you get me. Even then, I nor the Yonbi wish to be caught just yet. We still have a lot of traveling to do. Our lives as nomads are not over yet!"

Heath held out his hands and green smog came out of the palms. The two cloaked men covered their mouths as the smoke enveloped them.

"Wait, I don't think it's poisonous, un." The blond one said taking his hand off his mouth.

"Damn! It was a fake out!" The other man cursed. The wooden object beside him opened up its arms and all the smoke was sucked into it. Heath was nowhere to be found.

"He got away again…" The man said quietly as the wooden object beside him disappeared.

"The Yonbi's container is cunning, un." The other one said. He seemed a little ticked. The red haired one turned his head and looked around sharply.

"What is it?"

"…Nothing." The man replied as he brushed off his hat and returned it to its place on his head.

"I didn't get to show him my art…un…" The blond one whined.

"Shut up." His companion growled. They both walked away, in the opposite direction the blond demon container was going.

X.X.X

Kaidoh kicked the dead body that was in front of him. He looked at the scared, white eyes that stared back up at him. He kicked the body again making it roll over again. The cloud nin spat on the ground.

"Tch. Maybe we shouldn't have killed them." Kaidoh muttered. "Shoulda asked questions first. Or maybe we could have used them…nah…we only need that one." The man proceeded to check the next body.

"Kaidoh-san!"

The mentioned turned to see two of his men running towards him. He sighed and changed his irritated look to a more threatening one. His eyes narrowed as he looked at his men.

"I hope she wasn't in the pile of dead bodies." Kaidoh growled. The first man shook his head. He looked like he had been cut across the face as the four bleeding claw marks were visible even in the heavy rain.

"No sir…er…at least we don't think so." The man said wincing as his wound started to sting.

"Think?"

"W-Well, the boy we were chasing," The other man said. "The one we thought had the girl we wanted, he sorta…jumped off a waterfall."

"So?"

"S-So we couldn't really go after him." The man continued sheepishly. "The waterfall would no doubt crush us…and…he was already injured so he should be dead anyway."

"I don't care what happened to the kid, what about the girl?" Kaidoh asked impatiently.

"W-We don't know, sir." The scar-face man said. "The boy still held her when he jumped into the waterfall."

The man was about to speak again, but his breath got caught in his throat as Kaidoh hoisted the man up by his neck. The man's eyes widened as he felt the desperate need for air.

"I don't think you understand the importance of this mission." Kaidoh snarled. "We NEED that girl. She is the product of years and years of research. If she's lost, then all our plans go down the drain. Do you think the Raikage will be happy about this? Sure, things would have been fine if that son of a bitch Tenju hadn't burned that Hyuuga's body and terminated all our data, we could have just made another copy. Frustratingly enough, things didn't turn out that way. I don't give a shit about you or your lives. Go look for that girl. If you come back empty handed, then I will personally bring your bodies back home in a box. Got it?"

Kaidoh released the man and walked away. The suffocated man's companion checked to see if he was okay and then they went looking for the girl. This time, they'd take more men. Yeah, twelve men should be enough to capture a girl…right?

X.X.X

Naruto stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He had been searching for hours it seemed and he couldn't find his friends. Anna was shivering in his arms as the rain came down on them. Naruto also shivered. It was very cold. The blond wasn't really trying to find his friends at the moment. He figured he could find some shelter so he and Anna could rest. Who knows, maybe his friends would end up finding him. Naruto silently wished he had stayed in that cave. Anna started to whimper.

"It's alright, Anna." Naruto said soothingly. "I'll find us some place warm."

After Naruto and Heath separated, the blond had found a way back up the waterfall and proceeded from there. The ninja were gone, probably because they thought he was dead, so that was good for him. However, because he was taking care of Anna didn't exactly mean he would see the last of those ninja. From what he saw, those ninja were desperate for the girl…plus that guy whom he slashed across the face would probably want revenge. Naruto smirked at he remembered the nin's bleeding face.

"Ah, finally!" Naruto sighed as he spotted a cave. He made his way inside. It wasn't large, but it had enough room for him to run and walk around in. Naruto sat down near the entrance of the cave and laid back against the wall. The rocky surface was a little uncomfortable, but he felt relaxed.

"You cold?" Naruto asked the shivering girl in his lap. It was a stupid question, he knew she was cold, but he didn't exactly want silence right now.

"C-Cold…" Anna whimpered nodding her head. She could speak. Well, she wasn't exactly a baby. Her black hair was almost shoulder length and she looked a little older than a year old. Then again, how would he know? He didn't exactly deal with kids that much.

Naruto pulled Anna closer to him in an attempt to warm her up. The last thing he wanted was for her to catch a cold. In these conditions, it wouldn't be the best thing. Naruto sighed. This was not his day.

He sat in silence for a while. He didn't want it, but what else could he do? He didn't feel safe, not with this girl. Still…he knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He felt some sort of connection to this girl. What was it? He liked Anna, she made him smile. But that wasn't just it. Was it the protectiveness and caring a father would feel towards his child? Maybe…maybe that was it. He couldn't feel her shivering anymore. Anna was sleeping in his lap with a smile on her face.

Naruto brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. He looked outside and watched the rain fall to the earth and form small puddles that were slowly increasing in size. His thoughts drifted to his friends. Were they dead or did they escape? Did any of the other children live? Naruto's eyes narrowed when his thoughts went to Tenju. He was going to murder that man the minute he saw him…if he was still alive. It was funny, the demon container had asked himself the same questions only a few hours before.

Then again, Naruto couldn't really get mad at Tenju. The man was only looking out for the children. He could only send for one team of ninja so he wouldn't cause a fuss. Even so, if it wasn't for him, he and his team wouldn't be in this situation. Naruto looked down at Anna. Then again, if he and his team _hadn't _been here, everyone would have been slaughtered anyway and Anna just might be in enemy hands. Besides, the chance of some of the other children living would have been zero if is team hadn't been here. Knowing them, they at least would have tried to save some of the children.

Naruto's current situation reminded him a lot of his conflict in wave. The old man, Tazuna, couldn't afford to pay for an A-mission because he was poor because of Gato's dealings. Tenju couldn't call up a big group of ninja unless he wanted to get Konoha involved in something that could start a war. In a way, what the man did was very clever. With only a small team of ninja, he could do things quietly without getting said village involved, and save the children. He wouldn't be able to get rid of the threat of being discovered, but at least he'd have some protection.

Naruto sighed. Maybe things were better this way. Konoha wouldn't get involved in something that could start a war, the cloud's plans, whatever they were, got foiled, and Anna was safe. The only downside was that Naruto got separated from his team and all those children were killed. Still, something bigger may have just been avoided.

Naruto felt his own fatigue catching up. Who knew what time it was? He couldn't tell if it was day or night because of the heavy rain and black clouds, and even then he could barely see through the trees. Naruto fought to stay awake. What if those ninja found him? He couldn't be caught off guard.

It was no use. Naruto joined Anna in a peaceful slumber.

X.X.X

Shikamaru sighed as he pulled the whining child along. This was getting way too troublesome.

"But Shikamaru-san!" The boy whined. "I'm tired! Can't we stop for a little while?"

"No." Shikamaru replied bluntly. "We have to keep moving and find the others."

This kid was really starting to get on his nerves. The other boy walked in front of him and was trying his best to ignore the screaming child. Shikamaru was trying to do the same.

"I'm not moving!" The boy said sitting down. Shikamaru ran a frustrated hand through his hair as the boy started to complain about his shorts getting muddy. The second boy came up beside Shikamaru and sighed.

"Just shut up already, Shani." The boy sighed. It sounded like he was pleading though. "We're never going to find Mr. Tenju if we stay put."

"Mr. Tenju will find us by himself!" Shani retorted stubbornly. "Don't tell me what to do, Kappei!"

"I'm older! I can tell you whatever I want!" Came Kappei's immature reply.

"Only by three years!" Shani shouted back.

"Wait, be quiet for a moment." Shikamaru said holding his hand up. Kappei complied but Shani kept on shouting.

"NO! I've had it with you telling me what to do! I want to-"

His rant was cut short as Shikamaru hoisted the small boy up by his collar until they were nose to nose. Shikamaru glared right into Shani's white eyes.

"Shut. The. Hell. Up." Shikamaru snarled. Each word sounded more threatening and more venomous than the last. The Nara dropped Shani and the boy was left sitting on the ground with a terrified look on his face. He started to tremble violently. Kappei eyed Shikamaru with a slightly scared look. Shikamaru dug through the bushes until he could see on the other side. A second later he saw feet dart right past his eyes. Many more pairs of rushing feet followed.

Shikamaru knew these were the cloud ninja that were looking for them. He kept silent and, thankfully, so did Kappei and Shani. Two of the men stopped as the other men went ahead.

"Kaidoh-san is pretty harsh." One man said. "We've been searching for hours and we haven't found any trace of that girl. She and that kid who took her are probably dead right now."

"Don't be a fool." The other said. "We found the boy's trail. We know he's alive and we know he's still got the girl. Kaidoh-san is very forceful though. What's so great about this girl anyway? We haven't gotten any sleep for two days!"

"That girl is supposed to have the completed version of the Byakugan." The first man said. "We finally broke that seal that prevented us from copying the Byakugan. But that scientist, er, Tenju I think, terminated all our data and burned the Hyuuga's body. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't need to look for this one girl, we could just make another copy."

"Yeah, well, whatever." The second one scoffed. "Let's get moving. I don't want to be left behind again."

The two made an attempt to follow their comrades, but found they couldn't move. They tried calling for help but the other ninja were already out of sight.

"Never stray away from the pack." Shikamaru said as he stepped out of the bushes. Shadow Possession rocked. Kappei and Shani stepped out of the bushes as well.

"Kappei." Shikamaru ordered pointing at one of the men.

Shikamaru laid down on his back making the men do the same. Kappei hopped on one of men's stomach and looked straight into his eyes. Kappei's black eyes flickered for a moment and then the boy got off the man's stomach.

"I know where they're going." He said nodding.

"Good." Shikamaru said standing up. The cloud nin mimicked him. "Tie them up. There's some rope in my carrier scroll."

"Where is it?" Kappei asked.

"Back pocket." Shikamaru answered. Moments later, Shikamaru and the two boys were running to their destination leaving the two tied up and gagged ninja in the rain.

X.X.X

Naruto awoke with a jump. Anna was crying. The child calmed down when she saw he was awake. She pointed outside the cave.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. He heard it. Splashes, and it wasn't just from the rain. He retreated to the back of the cave and hid Anna behind a rock. The girl started to cry as he released her. Naruto held his finger to his lips.

"Ssh!" He commanded.

Anna blinked at him a few times, then smiled. She put her own tiny finger to her lips and mimicked him.

"Ssh!" She giggled.

Naruto sighed as he reached into his back pouch and took out a kunai. He walked towards the entrance of the cave and blended into the shadows. A silhouetted figure walked into the cave and looked around. Naruto leaped out from his hiding place and pressed his kunai to the person's neck.

"Say on word and you die." Naruto growled menacingly.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he jumped away as if he had just been shocked.

"Hinata?!"

Indeed, the Hyuuga heiress was standing before him. She sighed with relief upon seeing him and Naruto did the same. Naruto's relieved look turned back into his serious one.

"I heard someone crying, so I came to see what it was." Hinata said. "I'm lucky I found you."

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked.

"Well, obviously, I was trying to find you." Hinata giggled. Naruto scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. Okay, that was a really stupid question.

"Well, what I mean is, where are the others?" Naruto asked.

"Don't worry." Hinata smiled. "Anko-sensei and Tenju-san are okay. Issac, Azrael, Saki, and Marcus are also safe."

Naruto nodded. He knew Anko would be okay, it was good to know Tenju was safe, he remembered Issac and Azrael, but he didn't know the other two. At least some kids were safe.

"What about Shikamaru?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"I…We don't know where he is." Hinata said quietly. "I lost sight of him when an explosive tag detonated near him."

"Damn." Naruto cursed under his breath. Whining could be heard from the back of the cave. Naruto chuckled slightly and walked towards the back of the cave leaving a confused Hinata behind. He returned with a smiling girl in his arms.

"Who's she?" Hinata asked. She now knew who was crying though.

"I expected your first question to be why she has the Byakugan." Naruto said.

"I already know why." Hinata said sadly. "Tenju gave Anko-sensei and I all the details. She's the completed project, isn't she?"

"She's not a 'project'." Naruto said. "Her name is Anna, and she is a human being."

"You named her?" Hinata asked remembering that the child did not have a name.

"Well, it wasn't exactly me." Naruto began.

Naruto told her how he escaped the ninja that were after him and how he met Heath. He carefully left out any parts relating to demons and the fact that Heath was the container of the Yonbi. In turn, Hinata told him everything that happened in the cave she was previously at and Tenju's conversation and how she was brought here. Hinata looked at the map that Naruto took out from his pocket.

"Tch, I went even farther away from fire country." Naruto muttered. He looked back up at Hinata. "I think you should have stayed with Anko. You know it's stupid to go out in the forest in our current situation."

"B-But I was worried about you…and about Shikamaru-kun too." She added quickly. She sighed. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Naruto looked up at her. Her clothes were torn and her hair was messed up. She looked tired and worn out. Yet, she had a smile on her face. Naruto's expression softened.

"Well…thanks." Naruto said.

"Um, why is she glaring at me?" Hinata asked pointing to Anna.

The small girl's eyes were narrowed at the Hyuuga girl. She clutched onto Naruto's shirt more tightly.

"Mine." Anna said. It sounded like a pout. Naruto and Hinata stared at the girl. Naruto's face was amused while Hinata's face looked a bit bewildered…and a bit red from embarrassment. Hinata shook her head and looked back at Naruto.

"Um, why did she-"

"She's hooked onto me." Naruto sighed. "I don't know what it is. This kid just likes me." Anna clutched onto his shirt more tightly. "A whole lot."

"I think it's cute!" Hinata said clasping her hands together. "She thinks you're her daddy!"

"I don't WANT to be her daddy!" Naruto whined. Anna smiled up at him. Naruto grumbled. "Well…not really…" Hinata just laughed at him.

-_splash_-

Naruto looked around sharply. He heard something. He handed Anna to Hinata and ran towards the entrance of the cave. He stepped outside and froze.

"So this is where you went." A cloud nin snarled. He had claw marks across his face. "We won't let you get away this time!"

Naruto looked around. There were dozens of ninja around him. Naruto took a step back. Things were not looking good. The scar-face man stepped towards him but was stopped by one of his companions.

"Not yet." He said. Scar-face growled. The man turned towards Naruto. "Look kid. We don't want any trouble. Just hand us the girl, and no one gets hurt."

"That's what he said to me." Naruto smirked motioning towards Scar-face. "And he got cut across the face.

"Alright you freakin' smartass, I'm gonna-"

"No." The man said again. "Where is the child."

"Probably lying wherever the hell I left her." Naruto said. "Kid was dead, and I didn't want to carry around a dead body."

"Naruto-kun? What's going on?"

Naruto turned around sharply to warn her but it was too late. Hinata was right next to him with Anna in her arms. Naruto clenched his fists.

"Dammit, Hinata." Naruto growled as he turned back towards the ninja. Hinata, realizing her mistake, looked down at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry." She apologized. Sorry wasn't going to get them anywhere at this point.

"Trying to trick us, eh?" One ninja said cracking his knuckles.

"Keep the smaller girl alive." The man said. "Kill the other two."

Naruto jumped in front of Hinata and launched shuriken in all directions. Most of the projectiles missed their mark. The ninja all came at the trio at once but most crashed into Naruto's Chakra Screen. The blond formed his primary weapon, Chakra Claws, and proceeded to hack up as many enemies as he could. But there were too many. A sword cut into his left side making him recoil and lower his guard. Another punched the boy a couple times and threw him far to the left. Naruto hit the ground with a thud and Hinata ran over to him. Anna started to cry.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted rushing over to him. He coughed up some blood. Hinata then noticed blood starting to soak his clothes from the inside.

"Shit…my wounds opened up." Naruto cursed trying to stand up again. The ninja were advancing.

"Kill them!" One ninja yelled. All were about to pounce, but stopped. Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other. Why did they stop?

"I…can't…move!"

"Me neither!"

"What the hell?"

"Gotcha."

Naruto and Hinata turned to see Shikamaru. The duo smiled. Thank Kami for shadow possession.

"Sorry I'm late guys." Shikamaru smirked. "I fell asleep for a little while so I couldn't come to help right away."

"Thanks." Naruto said getting up. "We owe you one."

"I'm glad you're okay, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata smiled.

"Just hurry up and finish them off. I can't hold all of them for long." Shikamaru winced. "This sucks up a lot of my chakra."

"Yeah, yeah. Hin? Could you?"

"Sure." Hinata nodded. She made her way towards the stunned ninja.

"You don't really think it's gonna be that easy do you?"

Shikamaru screamed as he felt his shoulder get torn be the blade that cut through it. He lost control of the shadow possession and fell to the ground. Kaidoh stood over him. His sword had Shikamaru's blood all over it.

"I give you points for effort kid, it just wasn't good enough." Kaidoh smirked. Shikamaru groaned as blood seeped from the fresh wound.

"D-Dammit…" Shikamaru cursed. He couldn't move.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled jumping to his feet. He grimaced as his own wounds hurt him.

"Shikamaru-kun!" Hinata yelled as well. The ninja became mobile again and advanced towards the girl. She ran back to Naruto.

"Halt."

All of the ninja stopped. They all looked at Kaidoh. His face was disapproving. He stepped over Shikamaru's body and headed towards Naruto and Hinata. Anna clutched onto Hinata's jacket.

"I can't believe you guys can't kill three children." Kaidoh said turning to his men. "Or capture one girl. You're all pathetic." He shifted his gaze towards Naruto and Hinata again. Naruto stepped in front of Hinata.

"You're not taking Anna." He said glaring at Kaidoh. The man continued to walk towards him.

"So you named her?" Kaidoh asked. "But please, you think you're in any position to tell me what I can and can't do?" Kaidoh said arching an eyebrow. "Look at yourself. You look half dead, and are bleeding like crazy. It's a miracle you're still standing. Why do you go so far to protect this one girl? This could have all ended a lot sooner if you had just handed her over peacefully. Why do you want to protect her so bad?"

"Because I know if you get your hands on Anna, terrible things will happen. Who knows what you guys are planning to do with the Byakugan." Naruto looked at Anna. "And I would never let anything happen to her."

"Such a pity…to die like this." Kaidoh said shaking his head.

He suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and punched him across the jaw making him fly back a few feet. Kaidoh then punched Hinata straight across the face making her let go of Anna whom he caught expertly. Anna started crying.

"Kill them all." Kaidoh ordered as he started walking away. All the cloud ninja smiled sadistically and ran towards their prey. Kaidoh smiled sinisterly.

"This will be the key to so many things." He smiled looking at the crying child.

Then he heard a scream. It wasn't from the children. Kaidoh turned to see Naruto rip one of his men apart with his bare hands. All the ninja looked terrified and Kaidoh didn't look too confident all of a sudden. Somehow, all of Naruto's wounds seem to have healed. The boy's features had also sharpened. Other than his nails and teeth growing sharper, his eyes had turned red.

"Give her back." Naruto said coolly. The way he said it made the hairs on the back of Kaidoh's neck stand up on end. Kaidoh's look of fear changed back into his menacing one. He pointed towards the changed boy.

"Kill him!" Kaidoh ordered. None of his men moved. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? KILL HIM!"

"Chakra Burst Stream!" Naruto yelled. A ball of chakra appeared in his hand and exploded shooting spears of chakra in all directions. All the man were killed except four, Kaidoh included in the ones that weren't hit.

"Is that all there is?" Naruto asked. His chakra claws appeared.

"R-Run!" One of the ninja screamed.

Naruto was too quick. He appeared in front of the man as he was turning to run. He thrust his claws inside the man's stomach and they came out of his back. Naruto withdrew his bloody hands and kicked the man to the ground.

"You brat!" The scar-faced man yelled as he ran towards Naruto.

Naruto cut the man across the face when he was close enough. Only this time, instead of just cutting his face, the man's skull was cut in two. His dead body fell to the ground.

The third ninja didn't even have a chance to do anything. Naruto appeared behind him and snapped his neck almost making it twist all the way around. The only person left was Kaidoh. The man held his sword to Anna's throat.

"C-Come any closer a-and I'll kill her!" Kaidoh said in a shaky voice. Naruto smirked.

"Are you really that afraid of me?" Naruto asked as he stepped towards the man.

"I mean it!" Kaidoh said. His hands suddenly felt empty. He looked down to find that he was no longer holding Anna. He looked up again to see Naruto was holding the girl.

"W-When did you…?"

Naruto set the girl down on the ground. Anna looked up at him. Naruto smiled.

"I'm sorry this happened." He said squatting down to her level. Anna tilted her head to the side. "Sorry that I had to do this. And look, I got blood all over your dress." Naruto observed the girl. She was filthy. "But don't worry, this will be the last time I'll use Partial Shift, okay?"

He knew she probably didn't understand a word he was saying. He knew she was probably scared of him right now. Apparently he was wrong. Anna broke out into a big smile and just nodded her head. Naruto sighed.

"You are one strange girl, Anna." Naruto sighed.

"Don't ignore me!"

Naruto turned back around. Kaidoh was visibly shaking, and he was sweating. He held his sword out in front of him and his expression of fear had returned.

"You haven't won yet!" Kaidoh yelled. "A kid like you could never defeat me! You could never-"

Naruto's palm was in front of his face. Kaidoh stood stock still. His sword lay broken next to him. Naruto's hand started to glow blue.

"What are you?" Kaidoh whispered.

"It doesn't matter now." Naruto replied quietly. "Chakra Flash."

That was it. A beam of chakra shot out of Naruto's hand hitting Kaidoh right in the face. Naruto pushed Kaidoh's headless body to the ground. He looked at the path of devastated and burned trees in front of him.

"So that's what an S-Class chakra move does." Naruto said quietly as he picked up Anna. He slowly felt the Kyuubi's power fade away and his features return to normal.

"That was fun…" Came the Kyuubi's soft purr.

"No…it wasn't…but it was necessary." Naruto said.

"Naruto?"

The demon container turned and looked into Hinata's shocked eyes. She had witnessed the whole thing. Naruto smiled weakly.

"Guess all that training paid off, huh?" Naruto smiled. His reply was silence.

"Naruto!"

He turned again to see Anko coming out of the brush. She sighed in relief.

"That's good…you're all okay." Anko said. She looked around. "Kami, what happened here?"

"A battle." Naruto responded.

"What happened to Shikamaru?" Anko gasped rushing over to the boy's unconscious body.

"Naruto! Is the girl okay?"

Tenju, Issac, Azrael, and two other kids also came out of the brush. Tenju ran over to the blood and took Anna from his arms.

"You kept her safe! Thank you!" Tenju said gleefully.

"We saw the whole thing!" Two boys said in unison as they jumped out of the bushes.

"Kappei! Shani! You're okay!" Issac shouted happily as he hugged the boys.

"Mr. Shikamaru said to hide in the bushes until it was safe!" Shani said.

"Mr. Naruto kicked all of their butts!" Kappei smiled.

"Saki, could you heal Shikamaru?" Azrael asked politely.

"O-Of course." The girl responded as her hands started to emit a green glow and the veins around her eyes popped out.

Naruto shook his head. His fatigue was getting to him again. All these voices. His head hurt. He collapsed on the ground and fell into a comfortable darkness.

X.X.X

Naruto opened his eyes. Rays of sunlight hit his eyes making him turn away from them. He found himself in a bed.

'_Wha? How did I get here? Where am I?' _

"Oh good, you're awake." Naruto turned to the speaker.

"Haku?!"

Yes, it was Haku. The girl smiled at him as she sat in a chair beside his bed. Sleeping in her lap was Anna, who was just now starting to wake up.

"You slept for quite a while." Haku continued. "For two days, in fact."

"Two days?" Naruto mumbled shaking his head. "Am I in Wave?"

"Yes, you are." Haku nodded. Anna was fully awake now and she had crawled over to the dazed blond and found herself a comfortable place on his lap. She smiled up at him.

"How did I get here?" Naruto asked.

"Two days ago, Anko, Hinata, Shikamaru, and some other folk came here and asked for a place to stay with you unconscious. Tazuna was more than happy to oblige and just as happy to see you all again. I myself was also happy, but all of you seemed pretty beat up. That mission you were must not have been very pleasant." Haku said overlooking him. He still looked very worn out.

"Not in the slightest." Naruto sighed. He looked at her with a serious expression on her face. What Heath told him…she had the right to know as well.

"Look, Haku, it's really great to see you again, but we need to talk-"

"Not now." Haku said putting her finger on his lips. "Right now, you must be hungry. Tsunami has cooked breakfast and has put aside a dish for you in case you woke up. Eat first, then we'll talk."

"I not hungry though." Naruto protested. His stomach growled. He blushed as Haku giggled. "Fine."

They made their way downstairs. The smell of pancakes filled Naruto's nostrils and he felt his mouth water. When was the last time he ate?

"Hey, brat, good to see you again!" Tazuna smiled lifting his head from a newspaper he was reading. He looked at Anna oddly. "What, she's not crying?"

"Should she be?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's just that she kept on crying and crying for two days straight. Not now though." Tazuna said. "But I mean, you are holding her."

"That was an insult, wasn't it old man?" Naruto said as his eyebrow twitched.

"I think it was." Haku giggled.

"Hello, Naruto." Tsunami beamed as she turned towards him. A huge plate of pancakes was in her hands. "I'm glad we get to see you again. Here, I made them just for you."

"Much appreciated Tsunami." Naruto said as he devoured his meal. It tasted like heaven. It wasn't ramen, but it was really, _really _good. He finished in two minutes.

"Honestly, Inari is more civilized than you." Tsunami said half-scolding and half-teasing him.

"And that's saying a lot." Haku smiled.

"Whatever." Naruto scoffed. He looked around. "Where's my team? Tenju and the kids? And what about Zabuza?"

"Anko is outside training Shikamaru-kun and Hinata-chan." Haku said. "Zabuza is training with Inari. That man, Tenju, and the kids are watching."

"Inari? Training?" Naruto smiled. "Looks like he really took my words to heart."

"You changed him." Tsunami smiled. "And for the better."

"The kid sure doesn't cry anymore at least." Tazuna muttered. Naruto and Haku stepped outside.

"Show more power!" Zabuza's yelled as he boxed Inari out of his way. The boy got up and wiped the blood that trickled down his chin.

"I'm not done yet, Zabuza-sensei!" Inari yelled rushing at him again. The boy's hands had sharp, iron claws on them.

"Did he get them fitted or something?" Naruto asked. The claws were only a fraction of their original size.

"We took them to a blacksmith are you gave them to him." Haku said. "They're still the same, they've just been modeled into a smaller version.

"To slow!" Zabuza shouted as he roundhouse kicked the boy. His small body went flying.

"You're too much sometimes, sensei." Inari whined as he got to his feet. Then he noticed Naruto and Haku.

"Onee-san!" Inari smiled gleefully as he ran over and hugged the blond boy. The teen pushed the younger boy off him.

"Careful there, shorty. You could hurt someone with those." Naruto said pointing to his claws. Inari just smiled. Naruto smirked at him. "You still a crybaby?"

"Not anymore! I can- Hey!" Inari shouted indignantly. Naruto chuckled. Inari looked at the child in his arms. "Who's that?"

"This is Anna." Naruto answered. "She's a very nice and smart girl." Anna blinked at Inari a few times then stuck her tongue out at him playfully. The boy was all to happy to return the gesture. Haku laughed at their antics.

"You have a daughter already?" Zabuza asked walking over to them. "Who with? That Hyuuga girl?"

"She's not my daughter, asswipe." Naruto snapped. His cheeks were a bit red. "I just got stuck with her during our mission. She just really likes me." Anna giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Zabuza chuckled.

"Cool it, kid. I was just kidding." The man smiled. Naruto rolled his eyes. "But seriously, what were you doing? Everyone was worn out and cut up when you arrived here. You were unconscious."

"A mission that went haywire." Naruto sighed. "Imagine it like the situation we had with Gato, only one hundred times worse."

"Ah, Naruto, there you are!"

The boy turned to see his friends walking towards them. Anko slapped him hard on the back.

"Glad to have you back in the world of the living!" Anko laughed.

"He was never dead to begin with." Shikamaru sighed.

Hinata looked at him with an unreadable expression on her face. Oh right. Naruto winced inwardly. She had seen it. When he went into Partial Shift she saw him literally tear apart all those cloud ninja. Naruto looked away from her. He didn't want to talk about it. Not now.

"Naruto!"

Tenju waved at him as he and the kids walked towards them. Naruto smiled at them. He had planned to rip out Tenju's spine and make the kids go deaf with his yelling and shouting at getting him involved in all this mess, but he knew he wouldn't. Tenju and Issac were smiling from ear to ear looking very happy. Azrael smiled slightly at him and mouthed a small 'hello'. Saki proceeded to hug him and thank him profusely for his help. Kappei and Shani seemed to have gotten into an argument with Marcus but they smiled when they saw him. Anko shook her head.

"We got the same treatment." Anko said. "We completed our mission."

"But we're not in Fire country." Naruto pointed out. Tenju smiled.

"We have decided to stay here in Wave." Tenju smiled. "This family has promised to keep our secret a secret and the villagers probably won't mind. You have no idea how thankful we are for what you've done for us."

"We also plan to become part of the protection unit that Zabuza and Haku have set up." Issac smiled. "We'll put the Byakugan to good use."

Naruto smiled at all of them. Things had gone horribly for them at first, but in the end, everything turned out okay. Many lives had been lost though, that scar would be there forever, but at least they were able to save at least a few people. That's what Naruto thought. Tenju stared at Anna. Naruto arched an eyebrow at him.

"You want something?" Naruto asked.

"No. It's just…we need to talk." Tenju said hesitantly. Naruto looked at him oddly.

"Can it wait?" Haku cut in. "Naruto says he has something important to talk to me about."

Naruto's brain clicked. "Oh yeah." Naruto mused. "Can it wait, old man?"

"I suppose."

"Cool." Naruto said. He turned towards his fellow demon container. "Not here. Got anyplace private we can go?"

Haku smiled. "I know just the place."

X.X.X

Naruto leaned against the railing of the great bridge. It wasn't bustling with activity at this time of day. Naruto didn't know why though. He looked at Haku who stood next to him with a blank stare on her face. Naruto nodded to himself. He was shocked when he had been told too.

The Kyuubi container had just finished telling her the entire story of their mission. Mainly about the talk he had with Heath. He told her about the three Demon Shifts and about Heath's mastery over his demon. And how they were friends. Haku had just listened. Hadn't said a word. When he was finished she just looked down at the ground trying to take this all in the best she could. The stood there, neither saying a word.

"Friends…with the Yonbi?" Haku asked lifting her head up.

"Yep, that's what he said." Naruto sighed. "Sounds crazy, but Heath isn't really the type of guy to joke around like that."

"And this, Demon Shift. You've gone through it?"

"Twice. But it was only Partial Shift. You saw it." Naruto said. She looked at him with curious eyes. "Remember when we fought on the bridge? When you supposedly killed Shikamaru, I went through Partial Shift when I released some of the Kyuubi's chakra. I released more of it again when I fought all those cloud ninja. I was changed because of it."

"How?" Haku asked.

"Look into my eyes." Naruto ordered turning towards her. She stared at his eyes intently and squinted her eyes to try and find what see was supposed to be seeing. Her eyes finally widened and she stepped back.

"Your pupils…their slitted." She whispered.

"Yeah. As I said, this only happens when I first use Partial Shift. It'll be another four or five times before another change takes place. But I don't want to shift again, or the Kyuubi might take over."

"Its' more dangerous for you because of your bloodline." Haku said sadly.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love my powers. I probably wouldn't be alive if I didn't have the Unamekei Clan's powers. But the Kyuubi can use my power to his advantage." Naruto sighed. "I'm really scared of completely losing it."

"I wish I could help you, but I know I can't." Haku said regretfully. "But thank you for telling me this. I feel as though I understand my situation a little better now, but at the same time, more confused about it."

"I felt the same way." Naruto smiled. He looked at a sign next to him. "You guys must have been high when you thought up a name for this bridge."

"I don't know, I like 'The Great Naruto Bridge'." Haku smiled.

"Sounds tasty."

"Hm?"

"I'm named after a freaking ramen dish, Haku." Naruto smirked. He scowled. "And I haven't had any of the good stuff since I left Konoha."

Haku laughed at him. "Stop being so childish. Let's get back to the house."

"Right. Got any ramen?" Naruto asked grinning. Haku just continued to laugh.

X.X.X

"Hey, get up." Naruto said kicking Shikamaru's twitching body. The Nara boy slowly picked himself up.

"Don't ever do that again." Shikamaru shuddered. "My whole body feels tingly. And not in a good way. We're just sparring!"

Naruto smiled. He had used Chakra Seed on the shadow manipulator and made his chakra explode inside the boy by using Chakra Burst to set it off. If Naruto had used more chakra and made his burst more powerful, Shikamaru would have probably died of internal bleeding.

Anna clapped her hands frantically together. She sat not to far from them cheering Naruto on. The girl had started to cry when he tried to dump her with Tazuna, so he just took her with him to watch himself and Shikamaru spar. Naruto walked over and picked the girl up.

"See? I'm the best fighter around, aren't I?" Naruto grinned. Anna giggled and clapped her hands. Naruto looked at her smiling face. It was getting late and he and his team were supposed to leave tomorrow. He wouldn't say it out loud, but the girl had grown on him. She'd stay here, while he went back to Konoha. Would she cry when he left? That smile she had on her face whenever he was around…why did she like him so much?

"Naruto."

The mentioned turned towards Tenju. The man had a stern look on his face. Naruto raised his eyebrows at him.

"Is it fine to talk now?" Tenju asked.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. The boy shrugged, but didn't move. Naruto nodded.

"I understand you'll be leaving tomorrow, correct?" The man asked. Naruto nodded. The man took a deep breath then sighed. "Then could I ask you to do a favor for me?"

"Sure." Naruto asked. "As long as it's not about protecting you from cloud ninja again."

"Of course not." Tenju said chuckling lightly. His face turned serious again. "I want to keep Anna with you and take care of her."

Silence. Pure, uncomfortable, awkward silence. Naruto looked at Shikamaru. The boy had a bewildered look on his face and looked at Naruto doubtfully, then at Tenju in disbelief. Naruto turned back towards the man.

"Are you drunk?" Naruto asked out of the blue.

Tenju chuckled. "I was expecting that. But please, hear me out. I can't take care of her. I just can't."

"What makes you think I can then?" Naruto asked in a exasperated tone.

"Look, I can't because…well…because of what happened." Tenju said quietly.

Naruto expression softened. "About those kids?"

"Not just because of that, but because of all of this." Tenju sighed. "I realized that I didn't have what it took to take care of those kids. I couldn't protect them. You and your team saved them. If Anko hadn't saved me then I would probably be dead now. I don't have to worry about the others because they'll be safe on their own…but her…" He looked at Anna. "Is not even a child. She's a baby. I could never take care of her with the way I've handled the children."

"I thought you did a pretty good job before those ninja attacked." Naruto said scratching the back of his neck.

"I want you to take care of her, Naruto." Tenju said in a pleading tone. "I've seen the way she looks at you. This child adores you. You bring that wonderful smile to her face. When you leave, that smile will vanish. I don't want that to happen. Face it, from the moment she opened her eyes she saw you as her father. And I'm sure you care for her…that's why you risked your life for her. Please…will you allow her to call you her father?"

Naruto looked at Tenju. This man had to be hi. Drunk, on drugs, anything to ask him this. Still…his words did hold some truth. He really did care for Anna. In fact, the thought of leaving her behind made his chest hurt a bit. Naruto looked down at the child. Anna stared up at him and broke out into that beautiful smile of hers. The smallest of smiles grazed Naruto's lips.

"…Alright." Naruto said nodding.

"R-Really? You mean it?" Tenju said happily.

"Yeah…"

"Thank you, Naruto, thank you!" Tenju smiled. "Now I know this child is safe. I couldn't have picked a better person to take care of her!"

Naruto looked down at Anna. She looked at him expectantly. He sighed.

"So…I guess I'm your daddy now, huh?" Naruto said. Anna smiled at him.

"Na…ru…to…daddy!" Anna smiled. Naruto smiled at her.

"Thank you Naruto." Tenju smiled. "I know you will take good care of her." The man walked back towards the house.

Naruto looked back at Shikamaru. The boy's mouth was hanging open as he gave Naruto a bewildering look. After a few moments of awkward silence, Shikamaru recovered himself. He arched an eyebrow at his best friend.

"Are _you _drunk?" He asked.

"Screw off." Naruto growled.

"No, seriously." Shikamaru said shaking his head. "You just adopted a kid. You don't know the first thing about parenting."

"I know." Naruto sighed. "Seriously, I can't take care of a kid. I'm only fourteen. But…for some reason, I don't regret what I did. I'm actually really happy." Naruto smiled at Anna. Shikamaru stared at Anna, then stared at Naruto. He shook his head again.

"I said this once and I'll say it again," Shikamaru sighed. "You as a father? I can't see that."

"Neither can I." Naruto agreed. Anna cuddled up against his chest and closed her eyes.

"Daddy…" Anna smiled. Naruto stared at the girl.

"Well…maybe…"

X.X.X

A/N: Yep, there you go. I guess I did an okay job. Did you guys like it? I want to know.

Yes, I had Naruto adopt the girl. Don't complain to me about, it's vital to the story and I personally like that development. Please don't say the whole Demon Shift is stupid. I put a lot of thought into that (Though I know the name sucks). I just introduced a handful of OC characters that may or may not play a vital role in future chapters. Heath will though, that's for sure. I like that guy. But I'd like to know your opinions on what you think of the development of this chapter.

Anywho, as I said previously, I plan to start the Chunin Exams starting next chapter. I've got a whole bunch ideas for the exams and I think you guys will like them. I'm starting to get to a huge turning point in my story and since summer's coming up, I'll have all the time in the world to write. Please look forward to the next chapter.

I hope you'll stay interested…and…throw me some reviews if you feel like it. I'd appreciate it. I got a lot of reviews from my last chapter.

Kiiam


	10. Waist deep in problems

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N: Well, it's finally summer. I should get a lot more time to write now that all my projects are done. Still…I may be taking a class over summer so updates may not come as frequently as I would like. But I still don't know if I got into the class or not so we'll see. Anywho, expect lots of updates this summer…hopefully. Enjoy.

**Chapter 10**

Naruto yelled as he rushed towards Hinata with his claws outstretched and aimed at her. Hinata was at a ready stance, preparing to deflect his attack. Anna sat next to Shikamaru clapping her hands. Shikamaru stared at the duo spar with a bemused expression on his face. Anko had left some two hours ago. She and the other jounin were getting together tonight and she said she had things to talk about with a friend.

A few months had passed since their mission in cloud. None of them had talked about it since. Who would want to? What they had experienced was something they had all wanted to forget. But they all knew they could never forget the slaughter that took place before their eyes. It was true though, there were people like that in the world and that was just what being a ninja was all about. In the shinobi world, you would have to experience many painful things.

Even after the mission, some good came out of it…and some trouble as well. Naruto had adopted a child. It was unexpected, no, impossible for anyone to think that Naruto was capable of raising a child. Hell, he was only fourteen! But Naruto was happy.

Anna, the girl with a perfect Byakugan and the product of the years of research that had taken place in lightning country, was now Naruto's adopted daughter. She was a good girl, always smiling, always happy. Naruto was happy whenever she was happy. The girl had even started calling him "daddy" the minute after the blond boy had adopted her.

Naruto had his problems as a daddy though. Things hadn't been pretty when he brought the girl to the Hyuuga household. Kami had indeed blessed his soul when the first people Naruto had encountered were Hiashi and Neji Hyuuga. The minute they saw Anna in Naruto's arms and without a cloth around her eyes they immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. They thought that Anna was the result of Naruto and Hinata…having…a relationship. Neji attacked the boy with such fury he had knocked down the front door while charging at Naruto and trashed the garden while chasing him. Hiashi was none to happy either. He had chased Naruto around the house with a sword. It also didn't help the situation when Anna had accidentally called Hinata her "mommy" and the whole mansion was almost trashed by Hiashi and Neji trying to completely destroy the boy who had supposedly violated the Hyuuga heiress.

Of course, logic eventually reached the two Hyuugas and they realized there was no way Hinata could have a baby in less than a week. Still, the chase had been an unpleasant experience for Naruto.

Naruto had other problems as a parent too. Bathing Anna had changing her had been very awkward for him considering the fact that he was of the opposite sex, even if she was just a baby. Luckily, Hinata and Anko had decided to help him, but their assistance only lasted a week when Anko finally forced Naruto to bathe and change his new daughter. Feeding had been a problem for him too. Naruto's refrigerator didn't really cater to a small child because it didn't have much variety. Anna did seem to like ramen though…

Hiding her Byakugan wasn't much of a problem either. He didn't really take Anna far away from home whenever he went out with her, and when people asked about it Naruto would just say he was taking care of her for one of the Hyuugas. He was on good terms with Hiashi so people believed him.

Taking care of Anna was just one of his problems. Naruto's mind was on his newfound knowledge of Demon Shift. His problems with the Kyuubi had also seemed to increase. Every so often Naruto would have this strange sense of bloodlust. The weird thing was that he didn't feel any need to repress it. Naruto sometimes felt like he was completely losing it. He just felt like tearing something apart. This scared him.

The boy was paranoid now. Even though Naruto knew he shouldn't be having any problems with his appearance, every morning he would check to see if he changed at all. The only thing that stared back at him in the mirror were his slitted pupils.

Naruto was also worried about his companions. Shikamaru hadn't seen him go into Partial Shift, but every so often he would catch the boy staring at him oddly. He had done this before, but the look was different. It wasn't a look of curiously but…what was it? Fear? Inquiry? Caution? Worry? It was a mystery.

Anko seemed uneasy as well. She wouldn't train with him as often as she used to. Sure she'd still yell, punch, and kick him, but it seemed like she was being a bit more cautious around him. She also gave him looks. These looks just creeped him out. Did she give him these looks for the same reasons Shikamaru did?

Naruto was probably most worried about Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress had _seen_ him go into Partial Shift and tear apart those cloud nin. The strange thing was that when they arrived back in Konoha, she didn't say a word about it. This worried Naruto more than reassured him. He was relieved that the girl didn't say anything about it, but a nagging voice in the back of his head kept on telling him to explain things to her. The demon container decided that now wasn't the time to tell her…or he just didn't want to right now.

Aside from his demonic dilemmas, the Chunin exams were only two days away. Team eight was nervous, but confident. They had gone through rigorous training in the past few months and Anko said that they were more than ready. Naruto just silently hoped that the exams would go well. Their past experiences hadn't really gone well or according to plan.

"Opening!" Naruto smirked as he kicked upwards sending Hinata flying backwards. She landed in an ungraceful heap at the base of a tree. Naruto arched an eyebrow and looked at his foot accusingly.

"Sorry. Looks like I kicked you harder than I thought." Naruto said shrugging and tapping his foot on the ground.

"I-I'm fine." Hinata smiled sheepishly as she sat up properly. She winced and rubbed her back. "Ouch…"

"Go a little easier on her, Naruto." Shikamaru sighed. "Hinata is a woman after all."

"I didn't use Kage Bunshin did I?" Naruto pointed out.

"True."

"DA-DDY!" Anna squealed as she ran towards her father. The child could already walk, but not that well. Naruto ran forward and caught her as she started to fall forward. Anna smiled up at him.

"Don't run, Anna." Naruto sighed. The child hugged him. Naruto sighed again and picked her up. Hinata made her way towards her friends, still rubbing her back.

"Do you think we've done enough today?" The Hyuuga asked.

"No one is around to tell us to do more." Shikamaru stated. His friends nodded in agreement thinking of their sensei.

"I should probably put her to bed now anyway." Naruto said gesturing to the yawning girl in his arms. "She shouldn't be staying up late like this."

"She takes naps during the day though, right?" Hinata smiled. "I'm sure it's fine."

"I must say, you're doing a pretty good job of taking care of her." Shikamaru commented. "Who would've thought someone as troublesome as you could raise a child?"

"I think it's cute." Hinata said giggling.

"Both of you, shut up." Naruto scowled. His friends chuckled. Anna laughed. "Hey, not you too." Naruto complained looking down at her. The girl just snuggled closer to his chest.

"Daddy…" Anna murmured contently. Naruto managed a small smile.

"Whatever. See you guys tomorrow." Naruto said as he started to walk away.

"Remember! You have another meeting with the elders tomorrow!" Hinata called after him.

"Just what I need…" Naruto grumbled.

Hinata and Shikamaru stared after him. They stayed like that for a few moments until they were sure he was gone. Shikamaru was the first to speak.

"You noticed the changes?" He asked turning towards his friend.

"Yes." Hinata said quietly. She turned towards the shadow manipulator. "What do you think is happening to him?"

"Hell if I know." Shikamaru sighed in frustration. "I was out both times. I probably wouldn't have paid it much attention had you not told me."

"O-Oh…right." Hinata stammered.

It probably wasn't her place. She knew it wasn't her place. Despite the nagging voice in her head, Hinata had told Shikamaru about Naruto's fits. She had told Shikamaru about the time on the bridge when he 'died' and when Naruto slaughtered those cloud nin. She told him about the changes that had taken place with Naruto. Both times the Nara was out cold, so the Hyuuga heiress explained it in full detail. She felt like she was going behind Naruto's back by telling Shikamaru these things, but Hinata felt like it had to be done. Shikamaru was his best friend and he had the right to be told. Though it should have probably been from Naruto himself, not her.

"I'm sure you've noticed how more aggressive he's gotten." Shikamaru said narrowing his eyes. "It's the same like when we came back from our first mission in Wave. He changed. More silent, less sarcastic…what's going on with him?"

"I think it's something that he feels that he should deal with alone." Hinata sighed. "You know, when I first met him Neji told me to stay away from him…that he was dangerous. Mom said he was just different and that he had been through a lot." Hinata smiled slightly in remembrance of her mother. "I'm starting to think that they were right."

"Wrong."

"Eh?" Hinata asked looking at her friend in astonishment.

"He's not dangerous, just aggressive." Shikamaru said looking in the direction Naruto had taken. "Sure, he may be different. Everyone changes. He's been through a lot, yes, you can see it in his eyes." Hinata smiled at this. Her mother had said the same thing. Shikamaru continued. "But no matter what happens to him, I'll stick by his side. He's like a brother to me." Shikamaru smiled and turned towards her. "You will too, won't you?"

"Yes." Hinata said blushing lightly. Shikamaru sighed and ran his fingers through his brown locks.

"Of all the people I've met, and even as my best friend, he is the one guy I can't figure out." Shikamaru mused. He turned on his heel and departed. "See ya."

Hinata stood there for a little while longer. She looked in the direction Naruto had left.

"I won't ever leave your side either, Naruto." Hinata smiled, a pretty blush grazed her cheeks. "No matter what happens, I'll still see you the same. My feelings will never change. I'll help you no matter what." The Hyuuga heiress made a few hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

X.X.X

Anko slammed her drink down on the table making it shake as she did so. Across the table sat Yamato with a sheepish expression plastered on his face. Anko was drunk again.

"Aaaah! I just can't stand it!" Anko whined making a pouting gesture. "Things have been so rough lately! The Chunin exams are two days from now, the brat adopted a child, and the said brat is currently having more problems with that fur ball! CAN LIFE FOR ME GET ANY WORSE?!" Anko said rather loudly.

"Please keep it down, Anko." Yamato begged gesturing for her to sit back down. "You're disturbing the people around us. And this was supposed to be a _quiet _and _private _meeting."

"Screw them! We're talking about my problems!" Anko said downing her drink. "Waiter! Another one!"

Yamato sighed exasperatedly. This woman was hopeless. While the purple-haired assassin went off on a rant, the ANBU man was left to organize his thoughts.

It had been awhile since they last talked. From what she had told him, things had not been going very smoothly for Anko or her team. She had told him about their mission in cloud and it worried him deeply. This whole business with cloud, and the child experiments, all of it made chills run down his spine and he briefly wondered how all this was going to affect Konoha. Would this be a quiet matter, or would it bite them in the back in the near future? Should he tell the hokage about it?

No. Anko had only told him because of the deep trust she had for him. It would be wrong to tell the hokage. Besides, she had already sworn him to secrecy. Aside from that, Yamato was most worried about Naruto.

Hinata had also told Anko about Naruto's change in the forest, and thusly, Anko told Yamato. This issue was also not supposed to reach the hokage's ears. Looks like it was as bad as at the bridge in Wave, if not worse.

Yamato had always watched Naruto. Since he was a small boy, and only the hokage and Anko knew this. Sarutobi had given him the duty to watch over the blond demon container. Now, at first, the wood nin was reluctant for he also harbored hatred for the Kyuubi's host. But that was only because he didn't know the boy's life. Everyday he would see the sufferings that Naruto went through. He saw the boy cry, shout, and bleed many times. Eventually, his hate for Naruto switched to hating the villagers that beat him. Yamato eventually sympathized and felt for the boy, wishing many times that he could comfort and help the boy when he was left to cry and bleed in the streets. It was only after seeing how Naruto was treated and see him grow could Yamato realize that the boy was of his own man, not the Kyuubi himself. For that reason, Yamato had developed a fatherly attitude towards the boy. It was a shame they did not actually know each other though.

But that's why the changes in Naruto worried him. He had a hunch that Naruto's bloodline and the Kyuubi were tied together and the cause for his transformations. Was the Kyuubi breaking free? Taking over Naruto's body? Neither he, nor Sarutobi, nor Anko knew the answer to that.

Yamato looked at the shouting woman in front of him in sympathy. She was a wreck. This business with Naruto probably worried her the most. Everyday, as she described, would watch him stumble into her home and drop himself onto the couch, completely exhausted. His body always seemed to be straining itself, as if battling something on the inside. And Naruto's eyes that were once a bright, clear blue ocean and dulled in color and sometimes expressed no emotion. Not to mention his pupils were slitted.

She may not admit it, but Yamato knew that Anko cared for Naruto like a mother would. Hell, she practically adopted him considering the many times he would crash at her house. She berated him, yelled at him, hugged him, scolded him about Anna, just had a motherly attitude towards him. But that's was made Naruto's changes so hard for her to take. Yamato had also noticed in his observations. What had happened to the smirking, sarcastic teenager they had known?

"He just makes me so mad!" Anko whined breaking Yamato away from his thoughts. "I can't take it anymore. I wish he'd talk to me about it. The way he's keeps silent about it gets me so frustrated!"

"I don't think all this alcohol helps, Anko." Yamato smiled confiscating the glass that the woman was about to drink. "So…he's changed a bit. It's not like it's a real problem yet, right?"

This did not help in calming her down.

"He hasn't changed just A LITTLE BIT!" Anko said harshly. "And of course it's a problem. You've seen him! He's a mess. I think Anna is the only thing that's keeping him sane."

"Indeed, the child makes him smile in a way we can't." Yamato grinned.

Anko sighed. "Look Yamy. I don't know what to do anymore. He just seems so emotionless lately. Sometimes a catch him with a look on his face that just scares me. Like he might go crazy again. And the Chunin Exams are coming up in just two days, so that's another problem I have to deal with. It's not fair."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." Yamato smiled. "Kurenai's taking care of the second exam, right? And you said that you were confident that the kids would pass. I see no problem."

"It's a feeling I have." Anko said seriously. "Recent events haven't really made me all hyped for what's coming up. I'm just worried something's gonna happen that'll greatly affect the brat. I may just be paranoid, but I got this really uneasy feeling in my stomach that just won't go away. It scares me."

"Now what's all this about?" Yamato asked his friend. "You? Scared? That's not the Anko I know." He stood up from his chair and paid the check that was placed before him. "This scares me as well. I know that Naruto is changing, but it's not something we can help. But the kid has a strong heart, and the only thing that keeps him from going off the deep end is you, Anna, Hinata, Shikamaru, and the hokage-sama." Yamato smiled at her. "As long as you guys stick with him, nothing _too _bad will happen to him, and if you run into any trouble…" He flashed his almighty and famous Face of Death and Doom. _**"…I will always be willing to help…"**_

"P-Please, n-n-n-not w-when I-I'm d-d-drunk." Anko stuttered scooting away from him.

"You must be sober to admit that you're drunk." Yamato said as he left. "Goodbye."

"Yamato!"

He turned back towards her. "Yes?"

"Thanks." Anko smiled at him warmly. Yamato smiled back.

"No problem." He left the bar.

Anko closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. She stood up and made her way over to another table. Kurenai, Asuma, and Iruka were all chatting amiably. Kakashi was keeping to himself, reading yet again one of his Icha Icha novels. Kurenai smiled at her friend.

"Hi Anko." She smiled. "What took you so long?"

"Had to talk with a friend." Anko smiled sitting next to Kakashi. "What we talking about?"

The rest of the night went on pretty much how all their get togethers were like. Anko threatening to burn Kakashi's novel, Anko getting drunk, Iruka talking about the students at the academy, each jounin talking about his or her students, and Kakashi ignoring all of them as he read his favorite book. This would have all made Anko happy, were it not for the bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.

"I hope everything is going to be okay." Anko mumbled as she touched a certain spot on her neck.

X.X.X

"Silence! Show us proper respect." An old man with long gray hair bellowed. His eyes were of the Hyuuga bloodline. The other men around him also had the Byakugan. Naruto stared at them through half-lidded eyes. Anna was quietly sucking her thumb in his arms.

Having Anna as his new daughter didn't make his life easy when it came to the Hyuuga Clan elders. Every Hyuuga but Hiashi, Neji, and Hinata did not want him to take care of her. The blond couldn't care for their opinion any less.

It was hard for Naruto to come up with a story about how he came to have Anna as a child. The most believable story he and his team could come up with was that he picked her up at an orphanage in the Land of Moon, the Hyuuga clan's former home.

This story was believable because of the mission he and his team took two months ago. They had been asked to take care of some kids in the Land of Moon and the story was that the child had hooked onto Naruto, which in truth she did, and Naruto adopted. The Hyuugas were not that stupid to totally believe the story, but they let it pass with some persuasion from Hiashi and Anko.

Hiashi was told about the conflict they had with the cloud nin. It had worried and infuriated the man after they told him that his own brother, Hizashi, was used as a root for the experiments. It took a lot of convincing to keep the Hyuuga head's mouth shut. If Hiashi told the hokage about this, it could lead to conflict and quite possibly a war. None of the other Hyuuga's knew the truth, so the story was kept from them. Because of that, Anna remained Naruto's daughter.

That's not to say that the Hyuuga elders allowed it. Every other day Naruto would have to pay a visit to the Hyuuga household to have a meeting with the elders about Anna. It had started with negotiations. The men had used kind words and cons about having a child at his age in an attempt to persuade Naruto to relinquish ownership of Anna. The mentioned blond had, of course, blatantly refused.

The elders were persistent though. They tried explaining that having a Hyuuga girl in the possession of another could jepordize the system they've worked so hard to maintain. Naruto didn't care. They tried bribing him so he would hand over Anna. Low as it was, they tried. Naruto ignored them. They then tried to make Naruto guilty and used harsh words to try and get Anna. Naruto had fallen asleep at that meeting. Their most clever attempt would have to be the one they tried about two weeks ago when they asked to see the adoption papers that proved Anna was legally his child. If he did not have those, Anna was still considered a member of the Hyuuga clan, not of the Uzumaki family. This would have worked had Tenju not sent Naruto the adoption papers a few days beforehand. Anko had asked for them saying that Naruto should at least have proof that Anna was his daughter. Thank Kami she asked for them. Naruto had laughed as he showed them the adoption papers. Now the elders were bitter and cold towards Naruto and were trying to use political matters to take Anna from Naruto. This wasn't working out too well since none of the villagers were particularly against it and the hokage was on Naruto's side. Plus, Naruto knew that if he gave Anna up they would put the binding seal on her forehead, something he would never want to happen to her. Still, the elders pursued.

"Look ya old geezer." Naruto sighed running his hand through his blond hair. "She's my daughter and I'm not giving her up."

"You do not have the materials necessary for taking care of a child." One man said pointing at him.

"I share with Hinata from Hanabi's baby supplies." Naruto said yawning. "I got diapers and food and all that shit."

"She belongs to the Hyuuga clan, not you." The head elder said solemnly. "You must do what's best for her. Out of the kindness in your heart…please give her back to the Hyuuga clan."

"Uh, I love to burst your bubble you old fart, but do you want me to show you the adoption papers again? She's mine." Naruto smirked. "And what kindness?"

"You little…!" The man growled standing up. Naruto glared at him.

"Show some respect!" The man growled. "You're a poor boy, only fourteen. You cannot take care of this child. We cannot allow someone who does not belong to the Hyuuga clan to have a child that possesses the Byakugan. And you of all people do not deserve her!" He yelled pointing at the boy.

Naruto stared at him for a few minutes. All the Hyuugas in the room looked at him hoping to cripple him with their glares. Naruto eventually cracked a smile.

He flipped the elder head his middle finger.

"You fail at life." Naruto said. He disappeared in a puff of smoke as did Anna.

"…Shadow clones…" One of the Hyuuga elders breathed as a vein popped out of his forehead.

X.X.X

The real Naruto was now currently lying next to Hinata. He, the Hyuuga heiress, Shikamaru, team Gai, Anna, and Hanabi. Anna was busy playing with the fish in the pond with Tenten supervising her. Whenever the child slipped in the water the girl always helped her back up on her feet. Hanabi sat just outside of the pond watching the two with curious eyes. Lee was sparing with Neji again, losing…again. Shikamaru took to Naruto's example and was fast asleep next to him. Hinata just quietly watched her friends at play.

"Is it over yet?" Hinata asked looking at the resting blond.

"Nope." Naruto said. Hinata smiled.

"Don't you think they'll get mad if you use shadow clones again?" Hinata asked.

"Those old geezers can go to hell." Naruto growled. "No way I'm giving up Anna."

"Now you know how I feel." Hinata said quietly.

Naruto nodded. He wasn't the only one with child problems. The elders were basically trying to take Hanabi away.

Hiashi had been working for years to remove the seal that tied the lower branch of the Hyuuga Clan to the main branch soon after his brother's body was given to cloud. The elders were against it for their own reasons. Some were stubborn and wanted things to stay the same, and some just wanted to be in control. Naruto had once witnessed Neji under go a punishment when the boy tried to stick up for him and Anna during one of his meetings with the elders. Those sick bastards had smirked when Neji had clutched his head and rolled over in pain. What did that curse seal do? Protect the clan's secrets? What a joke. It was sick, demented, and unfair to the rest of the Hyuugas. It was a shame the elders were in charge.

The situation was that the seal could be lifted if all the members of the main branch, excluding the council, agreed to lift the seal, the majority of the lower branch approved of the liberation, and the hokage gave the permission. A majority rules deal. It had taken years to get the hokage's approval. Despite the old man's kind nature, he too had doubts about destroying the seal that kept the secrets of the Byakugan away from enemies. The elders' nagging and persuading words hadn't helped either. Hiashi got permission from the hokage about a half a year ago. The seal would have been history had the elders not stalled in the liberation by using Hikari's pregnancy, Hinata's absence during missions, and their various council meetings as excuses to postpone the liberation. Now, the elders found a loophole that prevented Hiashi from lifting the seal.

As an infant and child, Hanabi was proclaimed as "neutral" in this case, meaning she had not yet come to a decision and was not allowed to until she hit the age of thirteen. Since she was an undecided member of the main branch, the seal could not be liberated. The elders had already been thinking up ways to counter the liberation so it could be repelled before Hanabi turned thirteen, and to give them further advantage, the elders were trying to make Hanabi like them so that she would not vote against them. Hanabi was with them so much that some Hyuugas referred to Hanabi as the head elder's child. It was low, but that's how desperate the elders were for the seal's preservation.

"Daddy!"

Anna ran over to the blond, dripping wet from head to toe, and jumped right on his stomach. The winded boy coughed and sputtered for air as the soaked child hugged him. Naruto sat up and patted her head.

"Anna." He said irritably. "You got me wet." His daughter just giggled in response. Naruto sighed.

"Sorry 'bout that." Tenten said walking over to them. "She's a slippery girl. Couldn't stop her."

"What am I going to do with you?" Naruto said looking down at Anna.

A shout was heard from down the hall. Naruto smiled to himself and hoisted himself up as did Hinata. Naruto kicked Shikamaru twice to wake him up. All three of them headed towards the door.

"Hey, genius. Cover for me will ya?" Naruto said as he made his way out the door. His team followed.

Neji sighed and stopped his match with Lee. He, Tenten, and Lee retreated to his room, not in the mood to deal with the furious elders rushing down the halls in search of a certain blond teenager.

X.X.X

"Hey, wake up."

Naruto turned over so his back was facing Anko. The couch never felt so good. Anko had pushed he and his team harder than usual last night in preparation for the Chunin Exams today. But he didn't want to get up…the couch felt so good…

"Wake up." Anko repeated. Naruto made no movement.

Naruto smiled to himself. She'd give up eventually. Just a few more minutes…hours…of sleep.

His left cheek suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Naruto groggily sat up rubbing his red cheek. Anko smirked at him as she withdrew her hand.

"Good morning, brat!" She chirped. The blond glared at her. "You know, when a person says good morning to you, you're supposed to say good morning back." Anko said sweetly. Naruto groaned. What a day he had picked to sleep at her house. An idea popped into his head.

"You pinched my cheek." Naruto stated. "So now I have a reason to pinch yours. That way we're even."

He reached his hand towards Anko but she swatted it away. She smirked at him.

"You may have a reason, but I have a reason to avoid it." Anko smiled. Naruto grabbed her left cheek. She grabbed his. Naruto grabbed her right cheek. She grabbed his.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… …"

"…"

"…Zeh…"

"…"

"… …"

The doorbell rang. Naruto let go of Anko's cheeks as she let go of his. He clutched his red cheeks in pain.

"Zeh…zeh…" Naruto panted. He was awake now.

"Oops. Did I pull too hard?" Anko giggled as she opened the door. Shikamaru and Hinata stepped in. Shikamaru still looked very sleepy though Hinata was wide awake with a big smile plastered on her face. She looked excited.

"Seriously, who gets up this early in the morning?" Naruto grumbled looking at the alarm clock on the table. It's numbers flashed 8:26.

"You're telling me." Shikamaru yawned in agreement. Anko and Hinata rolled thier eyes.

"You're up this early all the time." Anko sighed.

"Only 'cause you make me." Naruto whined.

"Besides, you got the Chunin Exams at nine." Anko pointed out. "And don't worry, I'll take care of Anna while you guys are taking the exams.

The sleeping bundle in Naruto's lap moved making him aware of its presence. A sleepy Anna yawned and smiled up at her father. Naruto hoisted her off him and handed her to Anko.

"Thanks." Naruto said getting off the couch. He and his teammates made their way towards the door.

"Daddy?" Anna's curious voice called out.

Naruto sighed and walked back to Anko and stared at the child. She tilted her head to the side a bit in a curious manner. Her eyes were also a bit glassy. He didn't want her to cry.

"I have to go now Anna." Naruto said. Anna made a pout. "Look, I'll be back soon. When I get back, I'll treat you to some ramen at Ichiraku, okay?"

He doubted that she knew what he said, but she smiled anyway. Anna reached her hands out in an attempt to hug him. Naruto briefly held her so she could hug him and handed her back to Anko. The three genin waved goodbye and departed leaving Anko with Anna. The purple-haired woman smiled and looked at the child.

"Have you ever been to a bar?"

"…?"

X.X.X

Naruto stared at the entrance to the ninja academy. As if recalling something that had been long forgotten, his sleepiness returned to him. Beside him, Shikamaru yawned. He wasn't the only one that was sleepy.

"I-I'm a little nervous." Hinata admitted as they opened the door.

"Don't be." Naruto said. "Let's just check out the competition."

It was crowded inside the building. Genin from different countries were chatting amongst themselves and preparing for the test. Almost all of them looked bigger and older than team eight. Naruto arched an eyebrow when he noticed the many people crowding around the end of the entrance hall. He and his team made their way over to the end of the hall to find Lee getting harassed by two other older genin. Tenten tried to break it up while Neji stood off to the side with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Seriously, someone like you is taking part in the exams?" A boy with spiky hair smirked at Lee.

"Why are you even here? You're weak!" Another boy with long, dark hair said smugly as he punched Lee across the face. Lee staggered back holding the side of his face.

"Hey! What's your deal?" Tenten snapped helping Lee up. "We just want to get through."

"Shut it, bitch." The spiky haired boy smirked. "You're the same as him." He and his companion started laughing.

"Hey guys." Naruto greeted team Gai as he and his team broke through the crowd. "Glad you'll be joining us in the exams."

"Uzumaki." Neji nodded in greeting.

"What? More losers?" The long haired boy chuckled.

"Could you move?" Shikamaru asked stepping towards them. "And drop the illusion too. You're disturbing the other genin."

The spiky haired boy smirked. "So you figured it out, huh?"

Without warning, he launched a kick at Shikamaru's head. His foot never made contact though as Naruto dashed forward and delivered a hard punch to the boy's face, breaking his nose. Hinata also darted forward delivering a few quick jabs to the other stunned boy's chest. He fell over, unconscious. The room number changed from 301 to 201.

"Ah!" Lee gasped rushing over to the fallen nin. He glared at his friends. "I do not think violence was necessary."

"Says the guy who got punched across the face." Shikamaru chuckled.

"I-I didn't want to do it." Hinata said shyly.

"Aw, I wanted to do that." Tenten complained as she looked at the unconscious genin.

"You noticed too, genius." Naruto said turning to Neji. "Why didn't you take care of it?"

"They were stronger than they let on." Neji stated. "Besides, I wanted to watch the show."

"You're cruel, Neji." Lee said sadly. He suddenly perked up. "I will meet you upstairs! I have something I must attend to!" He rushed down the hall pushing and shoving other genin that got in his way.

"Isn't that where Sasuke's team went a little while ago?" Tenten pondered.

"Yes." Neji sighed heading in Lee's direction. "Let's find him before he gets in trouble."

"Yeah." Tenten agreed following her friend. She waved at team eight. "We'll meet you guys upstairs!"

Team eight made their way upstairs. They found themselves in a different hallway that wasn't as crowded as the one downstairs. Naruto's ears perked up as he noticed a trio of sand nin whispering to each other.

"Okay guys, remember what we're here for." A girl with blond hair said to a boy wearing a black suit and a shorter boy with auburn hair.

"Yeah, we can't mess this one up." The black suited one said throwing a meaningful glance at the auburn haired boy.

"I know, just don't get in my way." The boy glared. "Or I'll kill both of you, my brother and sister."

"This boy…" Hinata whispered.

"Just reeks of killing intent." Shikamaru finished.

Naruto looked at the auburn haired boy. The boy noticed him and glared at him. Naruto made an irritated face as he felt an annoying ticking in the back of his head that-

…

'_Shit…here?' _Naruto thought.

"**The Ichibi no Shukaku." **Came the Kyuubi's chuckling voice. Naruto eyes widened. This boy was a demon too…

"Who are you?" The boy asked glaring at Naruto.

"Does it matter?" Naruto replied glancing at Shikamaru. The Nara chuckled.

"Answer the question." The boy said darkly.

"Now, now. You shouldn't speak to people like that." Naruto said wagging his finger. "It's rude."

The boy continued to glare at the blond. Sand started to pour out of the large gourd on his back. Naruto sent some chakra to his fingers as his Chakra Claws started to form. So…this guy wanted to fight, huh?

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's eyes widened. _'I know that voice.' _He turned around and was shocked at who he saw.

Haku stood there with a smiled on her face. She bowed towards him. "It is good to see you again." Behind her stood two other kids that Naruto recognized. It was Azrael and Saki, two kids that had survived their mission in cloud. Though what confused Naruto was that their eyes weren't white. Azrael's eyes were a dull brown while Saki's eyes were a bright green. Naruto shook off his puzzlement and smiled at his friends.

"So you'll be taking part in the Chunin Exams too?" Naruto smiled. "Well, ain't that a coincidence."

"Yes, it is." Haku agreed. She made her way over to the sand trio and smiled at them. "Hello." She greeted addressing the sand nin. "I'm Haku Momochi, from the Land of Wave. And I see that you are from the Land of Sand. I am glad that we are not the only ones from different countries partaking in the exams."

The blond haired girl smiled as well. Haku seemed to do this with everyone she met. Always polite. And smiling.

"Yeah." The blond haired girl nodded. "I'm Temari. These are my brothers, Kankuro and Gaara. We were just going to sign ourselves in."

"Then do not let us get in your way." Haku smiled. Naruto looked at her and wondered, did she know too? A quick glance from the dark haired girl answered his question.

Temari nodded. "Right. Let's go guys." She stopped to whisper something in Gaara's ear. He closed his eyes as the sand started to return to his gourd.

"Not until I get his name." Gaara said glaring at Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto." The boy answered. He was now glaring back at the Shukaku container.

"Hn." The boy grunted before following his siblings. "I look forward to our next meeting, Uzumaki Naruto, and you as well, Momochi Haku." He and his siblings disappeared as they rounded the corner. Naruto looked in his direction. Did he know they were the same as well?

"Glad you showed up when you did." Shikamaru said turning towards Haku. "This could have been quite troublesome."

"Azrael, Saki, why aren't your eyes white?" Hinata asked voicing both of her other friends' thoughts.

"Mr. Tenju taught us how to change our eyes back to their original color." Saki smiled. "Now, we don't have to hide our eyes."

"That's good." Naruto said. "How is the old man anyway?"

"He is doing well." Azrael answered. "Tenju is currently back in wave with Kappei, Marcus, and Shani. Mr. Tazuna, Ms. Tsunami, and Inari are all very kind to us." Team eight stared at the quiet boy. Wasn't he supposed to be deaf?

"He's good at reading lips." Saki giggled. The others nodded.

"We did not actually come here just for the Chunin Exams." Haku said. "We are actually here to negotiate a treaty about allying Wave with Konoha."

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Haku said nodding. "Zabuza and Issac should be meeting with the hokage right now, but it will take some time before the paperwork can be done, so we will be here for a while."

"But isn't Zabuza a wanted nin?" Hinata asked.

"We have him disguised." Haku replied smiling. "We also changed his name so he would not be noticed. He looks like a completely different person."

"I gotta see him then." Naruto smiled.

"Hello Naruto!"

The six of them turned to see team Gai walking towards them. Neji and Tenten looked slightly irritated while Lee had a big smile on his face despite the fact he had a large bruise on his left cheek. Lee bounded towards them and pumped his fist in the air.

"I have just defeated my greatest rival!" Lee announced dramatically as his eyes sparkled.

"Neji?" Hinata asked in astonishment looking at her cousin.

"No, not Neji." Lee smiled. "Uchiha Sasuke. It was an easy win!"

"You could have killed him." Tenten said rolling her eyes. "You got way too carried away. You almost used a forbidden technique."

"Um…did you have to say that?" Lee asked sheepishly.

"So these are the friends you've been telling me about?"

Team eight and team wave looked behind team Gai and their jaws dropped. A man that was identical to Lee in looks walked towards them. He had a wide smile on his face and his eyebrows were so bushy and big that it looked like they were alive.

"So this is your sensei?" Hinata asked giggling slightly. "This is Gai?"

Shikamaru and Azrael just looked from Lee to Gai with bewildered expressions on their faces. Haku and Saki were trying hard not to laugh. Naruto just burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Naruto roared with laughter. He pointed at the man clutching his sides. Gai's eyebrow twitched.

"What less can I expect from a student of Anko." Gai said covering his face with one hand trying to act cool. His hand was also twitching.

"Don't laugh at Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted angrily. "He's the coolest man alive!"

"Cool?" Naruto laughed. "What are you smoking? Gai-sensei. More like Gay-sensei."

Lee jumped at Naruto only to be punched across the face by Gai. The older man kneeled down to his collapsed student.

"No Lee. Do not make a mistake of fighting another student recklessly like you did moments ago." Gai said seriously.

"G-Gai-sensei…" Wept Lee.

"You're such a great person! Full of youth!" Gai cried as he embraced his student. Everyone's looks of amusement turned into looks of disgust.

"Ladies and gentlemen…our sensei." Tenten sighed slapping her forehead.

"Yep. Gay-sensei is fitting alright." Naruto nodded.

"Couldn't you call that child abuse?" Saki asked as she noticed a large bruise appearing on Lee's other cheek.

"Let's just get to the exam hall." Shikamaru grumbled. Everyone nodded as they made their way past the two jumpsuit wearing nin and to the exam hall.

X.X.X

Naruto snored lightly as he slept on the desk. Their first exam was to take a ten question test, but question ten would be given after the forty-five minute testing period was over. Behind him he could hear Shikamaru snoring a few rows back. Naruto sat next to Hinata. She tried to help him cheat on the test, but the blond decided against it as sleeping was the better choice for him. Since when did he give a damn about a test anyway? The whole point of the test was to cheat without being found out, but that required work and in Shikamaru's words, was too troublesome. Plus, the questions were something that only a jounin would know how to answer. Deciphering codes and summarize complex subjects, who could do that in forty-five minutes. Well, Sakura could, and maybe Haku…Azrael was really smart too though. Naruto yawned. Nah, catching some Z's won over taking a test.

"I will now reveal the tenth question!" Declared the examiner Morino Ibiki. The man had a stern expression and his face was scarred. He noticed a sleeping form in the first row.

"WAKE UP!" Ibiki bellowed. Naruto raised his head from the desk and rubbed his eyes.

"Keep it down, will ya." Naruto groaned. Ibiki stared at him.

"Did you just sleep for the past forty-five minutes?" The man asked in astonishment.

"I'm not the only one." Naruto said pointing behind him. Ibiki glared at the other sleeping boy.

"WAKE UP!" Ibiki roared throwing a piece of chalk at Shikamaru. The boy raised his head.

"Where's the fire?" Shikamaru asked sleepily. Some students around him snickered.

"I suppose I can't throw you out now." Ibiki muttered.

"We still got the tenth question." Naruto pointed out.

"Wait…aren't you the one that knocked out Kotetsu this morning." Ibiki asked. He looked at Hinata. "And you knocked out Izumo."

"S-Sorry about that." Hinata said in a small voice.

"They were being assholes." Naruto shrugged. "They deserved it."

"That's quite a mouth you've got." Ibiki glared. "Though, what less can I expect from a student of Anko." Naruto smirked. His sensei was famous.

Ibiki looked at each student. They looked tired. The man smirked. His technique worked wonders. Several other teams had already been kicked out for cheating. Now all he had to do was drop the bomb.

"First," Ibiki began. "You all must choose whether to reject or accept the question!"

"What idiot would reject the final question!" The dog nin, Kiba, asked. His dog, Akamaru, barked in agreement.

"If you reject the question, you fail and so does the rest of your team." Ibiki continued ignoring Kiba. "But if you try to answer the question and fail…you will never be allowed to take the Chunin Exams ever again!"

Many students shouted out in protest. Ibiki ignored them all and smiled in satisfaction.

"I quit!" Said one boy as he stood up.

"Me too!" Another voice said

"I'm done!" Came a third voice.

Five more cells after them also decided to quit. Each person that failed looked disappointed and sad as they left. Naruto sighed and raised his hand.

"You're quitting as well?" Ibiki asked slightly surprised.

"No." Naruto answered. Hinata sighed in relief. "I just want you to stop all this physiological crap and ask us the damn question. It's clear nobody else is going to fall for your stupid mind game so just give us the question so I can get on with my life. The weaker candidates have already been eliminated anyway.

Ibiki sighed and looked around the room. Seventy-eight kids remained and it didn't look like any of them were going to quit now. He shot Naruto a glare and let out a deep sigh.

"I guess that all of you…pass." Ibiki said.

"What was the point of all that?" Temari yelled.

"This test determined whether each of you have the skills necessary to spy and gather information." Ibiki smiled. "All of you eventually decided that there was no way you could complete the test without cheating, so each of you had to gather information in order to complete the test. Anyone who cheated in an obvious way was eliminated. Those that were not discovered did not get eliminated."

"Nor did those that were asleep asleep." Shikamaru pointed out. Ibiki glared at him.

"Yes, I suppose so." Ibiki muttered.

"I still don't understand the point of the test." Saki said raising her hand. Ibiki sighed and removed his headband revealing a head that was covered with scars, burns, screw holes, and other disfigurements.

"How long…?" Hinata gasped.

"Forty-eight hours." Ibiki said solemnly. "The point of this test was to see whether or not you would take the mission that is given to you. In the life of a shinobi you will be faced with many situations where you are captured with vital information and that information could put others in jeopardy. Only if you are willing to risk your life and never give in despite being tortured or hurt, can you call yourselves shinobi."

At that moment, a woman that looked to be in her twenties jumped through the window.

"Hello Kurenai." Ibiki greeted.

"Ibiki." Kurenai nodded. She inspected the crowd of students. "Twenty-six teams left? Are you growing soft, Ibiki?" She asked.

"Of course not." Ibiki replied curtly. "It's just that the students this year have grown stronger." He looked at Naruto as he said this.

Kurenai shook her head. "I still think there's way too many."

"How would you know? This is your first team running an exam." Ibiki smirked.

"True." Kurenai smiled. "Alright! Those who are taking part in the second exam, follow me!

Naruto stood up from his seat. He looked behind him to see that the rest of the rookie nine were still left. Team Wave was also still in the game. Naruto shot a glance at Gaara. Looks like he'd still have to deal with him. Naruto smiled at his teammates.

Looks like things were about to get a hell lot more interesting.

X.X.X

A/N: Meh…it's alright. This chapter turned out to be pretty long. I wasn't supposed to. Ah well, long chapter is good right?

Anywho, I bet you guys were expecting Hinata and Naruto to have a conversation about his partial shift. That was the original plan, but I decided to do something different. Don't worry, I'll get around to it in the next few chapters. Besides, the surprise I got will make up for it.

I also hope everyone is cool with me putting Haku in the Chunin exams and with Wave aligning itself with Konoha. It's all for plot development and it will all come into play later. As I've said, I got lots of great ideas for the next few chapters that I think you guys will love. Be patient and I'll try to upload the next chapter soon.

Also, don't forget to review. I was really happy with all the reviews I got for the last chapter. So…give me some more please. (Or I'll steal all your food)

Kiiam


	11. A demon's grasp

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I think I uploaded this one in good time. Thank god it's summer. I've been getting a lot of writing done, and I've completed my second one-shot I plan on posting as soon as my computer stops screwing up. With so much time on my hands, I've been able to focus on multiple stories at once. But my friends keep dragging me outside all the time. Not that I mind though, it is summer after all. The next chapter should come soon. Enjoy.

**Notice 6/30/08: **I knew I forgot to say something yesterday when I uploaded this chapter. Now that I remember what, I'll say it.

I claim ownership to any OC and made up characters that I make. Heath, Anna, the experimented children, all mine. Also, I noticed this story hit 100 reviews so I thank all of you who have reviewed this story. (Next chapter should come soon I hope)

**Chapter 11**

Naruto stared at the entrance to the Forest of Death. Its huge, dark trees were a familiar sight. The barbed wire gate was the only thing separating him from the starting second exam. He smirked to himself and looked around.

'_This'll be cake. We've got the advantage. Thank Kami we train here.' _Naruto thought. A quick glance at his teammates and he knew they had the same thoughts.

"This is training ground forty-four, A.K.A the Forest of Death." Kurenai said to the crowd. Everyone whispered nervously to each other. "Before we take start the second exam, I will need you all to fill out these forms." Kurenai said holding up a bundle of sheets.

"What are they for?" Asked a curious genin.

"They are consent forms stating that we are not responsible for any injuries…or deaths…that may or may not occur during this exam." Everyone broke out into nervous chatters. Kurenai shrugged. "Do not take its name lightly.

"C'mon. It's not _that _dangerous." Shikamaru muttered.

"Aside from the giant snakes that Anko attacks us with." Naruto whispered back.

"All teams will have five days to reach the tower in the center of the forest." Kurenai continued. Team eight exchanged glances. What tower? Naruto's brain clicked and he sighed. So much for getting back soon. Anna was probably gonna be crying when he got back. "Before getting to the tower, you must have at least one of each of these scrolls." Kurenai held up two scrolls. One was brown labeled "earth", and the other was white labeled "heaven"."You will be given one of these scrolls before taking the test. It's your job to get the other. This is a survival test, so anything goes. Good luck, and don't die."

Naruto was handed the consent forms. He handed them to Shikamaru. The boy looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"I'll leave the paperwork to you." Naruto smiled. "Besides, you didn't do shit in the last exam."

"Neither did you." Shikamaru snapped.

"You say something?"

The Nara sighed. "No…no I didn't."

Naruto took this small break time to check out the rest of the competition. All of them had paranoid looks on their faces. Wimps. Naruto then noticed his ticking was back. He growled in annoyance. He looked at the sand trio who were also filling out their forms. He hoped they'd start the exam soon. This ticking was starting to give him a migraine. It wasn't faint like before. It was really, really loud. Naruto shook his head. Why was it so loud all of a sudden?

"Sign your name." Shikamaru said handing a piece of paper to Naruto. The blond scribbled his name down on the piece of paper.

"Let's go turn these in now."

Under a trap was a table where two Chunin sat. A whole bunch of scrolls lay next to them. Naruto noticed that one of the Chunin's nose had a bandage over it and the other looked tired. They looked familiar. His brain clicked again. He smirked as he made his way towards the table.

"Well, well. If it isn't the guys who we beat up before we started this exam." Naruto smiled. "Hey losers, how's it going?"

Instead of exploding, the two men smiled. "Oh, hey kid." Said the man called Kotetsu.

"Yeah, uh, sorry about before." Izumo said sheepishly. "We were bored and kinda wanted to have a little bit of fun before the exams started. Guess we got a little carried away, huh?"

"It was very troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

"Think of what we did as a preliminary round of the Chunin exams." Kotetsu smirked. "You three were the only ones that passed."

"I-I'm really sorry about knocking you out." Hinata said bowing.

"It's cool. We deserved it." Izumo smiled.

"Well, we were a bit drunk." Kotetsu pointed out.

"Oh yeah. We went to the bar this morning, didn't we?"

"Yeah. I can't believe a kid was there."

"Kid? What kid?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Well, a friend of ours, Anko, walked into the bar this morning with a baby kid in her arms. Iruka pulled them out, but Anko didn't seem to care she had a child with her."

Hinata and Shikamaru glanced at each other. They looked worriedly at Naruto. His shoulders were shaking.

"She is so freakin' dead when we finish this exam." He snarled.

X.X.X

Team eight lined up at their designated gate. In Shikamaru's pocket was their earth scroll. They all figured that he wouldn't lose it despite him being totally lazy. They readied themselves. Kurenai's shout was heard. The trio darted into the woods.

"So what's the plan?" Naruto asked as they jumped through the trees.

"I think we should find the scroll first." Hinata suggested.

"Not yet." Shikamaru said.

"Why not?"

"Think." Shikamaru said. "Other teams will be searching for each other already. We've got the Byakugan, so we can find a scroll anytime. Our first priority should be to find the tower and ambush a team with the heaven scroll. Other teams should also have the same plan so we'll run into someone eventually. Let's just get to the tower."

"Agreed." Naruto nodded. The ticking started again. He growled.

"What is it Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing. Just still a little bit tired." Naruto replied not looking at her. "Let's just get to the tower.

Hinata looked at him. He seemed…different all of a sudden. She looked at Shikamaru. He nodded, also seeming to have noticed. They all remained silent with the only sound being the taps of their shoes against the trees branches.

X.X.X

Team Wave was currently on the other side of the forest making their own plan. It was the same as Shikamaru's only they had more things to discuss.

"What's wrong Haku?" Saki asked turning to the older girl. "You've been acting kind of strange since we started the second exam."

Haku wondered whether or not she should tell them. She wasn't completely sure if her suspicion was true, but it kept bugging her. The tick was becoming unbearable. She shook her head. They needed to know so they'd be more cautious.

"Guys." Haku said solemnly. "I'm not the only demon container here."

Saki and Azrael exchanged glances. They both very well knew that Haku was the demon container of the Sanbi no Isonade, and they knew that Naruto was the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Haku had also told them Gaara was the container of the Ichibi no Shukaku. Saki looked at Haku oddly.

"We know. You, Naruto, and that scary boy, Gaara, are containers. You told us." Saki confirmed not getting the point.

"That's true." Haku said leaning against a tree. "But I have a feeling that a fourth container is taking part in the exams."

Saki's eyes widened. "P-Please Haku. I'm sure your senses are just messed up because there are two other demon containers here." Saki giggled dismissively. She shrunk back when Haku glared at her. She was serious.

"No Saki. I'm almost sure that there's another container here." Haku said darkly. "I first felt it when we came to this forest. The ticking in the back of my head became worse than it already was. I couldn't dismiss it. My senses were already going crazy because of Naruto and Gaara, but the ticking increased to a point where it was almost painful. I'm sure there is a fourth container in these exams, and we're going to find it."

"I-I think w-we should avoid d-danger. M-Much less a d-demon c-container." Saki stuttered completely terrified at the thought of fighting a container.

Saki was their healer and the optimistic one of their team. But she was also a coward. The look Gaara had in his eyes at the academy building scared her to death, and she did not want to go looking for a container. She had always had a sense of paranoia ever since those cloud ninja had killed all her friends. She avoided danger whenever possible.

Haku looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Saki. But it has to be done. If we let this demon container run amuck, it could endanger the lives of the other students. You don't want that, do you?"

"N-No…" Saki mumbled quietly.

"I'm sorry." Haku said again. She turned to Azrael. "Could you locate Naruto and Gaara?"

"Sure." Azrael said casually. His eyes widened and turned to a dark blue color. Black streaks could be seen going across them. Azrael closed his eyes and reopened them. They were back to normal.

"Naruto's group is over that way." Azrael said pointing in front of him. "They are on the other side of the forest though. Gaara is not far from here. His group is to the northeastern side of the forest.

"We'll avoid Gaara, and get to Naruto." Haku said solemnly. "I must warn him about this as well."

"Hold on." Azrael murmured as he took out a senbon needle. He threw it into the trees. A rain nin fell from one of the branches and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Haku walked over to him and searched through his pockets. She found an earth scroll and stuffed it into her pocket with her heaven scroll.

"So this guy came alone?" Haku thought aloud.

"His team probably thought it'd be easier to find a scroll if they split up." Azrael shrugged.

"Well, at least his carelessness means that we don't have to go hunting for a scroll." Haku nodded to herself. "Now we can go find Naruto's team. how did you know he was there anyway?"

"Accidently spotted him while looking for Naruto and Gaara." Azrael answered. "His chakra signal stuck out like a sore thumb. Very inexperienced."

"Guess Ibiki didn't eliminate all the hopeless candidates after all." Saki giggled.

"Enough chit chat." Haku ordered. "Let's go." The Wave trio headed in Team eight's direction. Suddenly, a large explosion was heard. Haku's eyes widened as the ticking in the back of her head grew louder and louder. She turned to her teammates.

"MOVE!"

X.X.X

The explosion rocked the trees almost making Naruto lose his balance. He and his teammates stopped and looked at each other.

"What was that?" Hinata asked.

"An explosion." Shikamaru said looking around. "But it was too loud and powerful to be an explosive tag. Hinata!"

The Hyuuga girl nodded as the veins around her eyes popped out. She looked in all directions trying to find the source of the explosion. Her eyes widened.

"It's Sasuke's team!" Hinata said astonished.

"The teme?" Naruto asked arching an eyebrow.

"Not just them." Hinata continued. "It looks like their being attacked by someone. Kami! I haven't seen chakra reserves this big since…"

She looked at Naruto. Shikamaru did the same with wide eyes. Naruto's eyes narrowed. The ticking in the back of his head was going crazy.

'_Is it Gaara?' _Naruto wondered. He turned towards Hinata. "What direction?"

"That way." Hinata said pointing to her left.

"We've got to help them." Naruto stated matter-of-factly already on the move. His companions followed close behind.

X.X.X

When they reached their destination, they were shocked at the amount of damage the explosion had caused. Giant trees lay scattered and broken all over the landscape. Team seven was already in bad condition. Sakura leaned against the trunk of a tree that was still standing. A wide gash was in the side of her leg, bleeding like crazy. Shino and Sasuke stood on one of the large branches. The bug nin had a bunch of dead bugs scattered around his feet and looked like he was struggling for breath. Sasuke's arm was bleeding and a trail of blood dripped from his mouth. Though more ragged looking, he looked better off than Shino. Standing on another branch a few feet away from them was a female grass nin. Her face looked burned and seemed to be peeling off. Naruto whipped out a kunai and launched forward. Hinata took a fighting stance and Shikamaru prepared his shadow possession jutsu.

"Hey ladies! Hope we're in time for the party!" Naruto chortled as he jumped towards the grass nin. Team seven looked shocked at the sudden appearance of team eight.

"NO! Dobe! Get away from him!" Sasuke cried desperately. His eyes had the tear spiral of the sharingan.

"Well, well, well. It's just surprise after surprise with these exams." The grass nin chuckled. "So glad you could join us, Kyuubi."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Now he knew why his ticking was louder than usual. This girl, or man it looked like as the he-she's skin started to peel more, was a demon container as well. But what demon? How many tails? Nonetheless, Naruto knew he had to go all out of this one. His Chakra Claws formed around his hands.

"So what are you?" Naruto said as he slashed at the ninja. The gender bender chuckled.

"No what fun would that be if I told you?" The shemale smiled. Naruto growled and shot a good amount of chakra bullets at the person. He/she dodged them easily.

"Dobe! He's too strong! I'll just give him my scroll and we-"

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto shouted as he blocked a punch from the grass nin. "You think he'd do all this just for the scroll?" Sasuke looked at the carnage around him helplessly.

"I'm glad we get to fight again so soon, Kyuubi. Last time, you beat me, but this time things will be different." The ninja laughed as he delivered some rapid punches at Naruto. The blond went on the defensive, jumping backwards to block attacks. He launched a kick at the grass nin's face, but the gender bender avoided it and jumped back. The powerful nin frowned.

"Wait…you're not the Kyuubi, are you?" The man asked. He smiled sadistically. "Oh, I see, the fur ball hasn't taken control yet, has he? Though he does seem to have an influence on your body."

"Naruto! What's he talking about?" Shikamaru called. "What hasn't taken control?"

"Shut up!" Naruto roared as he launched himself towards his opponent. The grass nin shook his head.

"You sure are as reckless as the fur ball though. He has quite the influence on you indeed." He bit his thumb and outstretched his palm. A snake, probably as big as one of the trees in this forest, came out of the man's palm. Naruto eye's widened. It was bigger than Anko's snakes!

"A summoning!" He cursed as he tried to avoid it. He was already in motion though and couldn't change his direction. Everyone watched in horror as the giant snake swallowed the blond whole. Shikamaru growled as he pulled out some shuriken and a kunai. Hinata ran forward towards the man with tears in her eyes.

"You'll pay for that." Shikamaru growled as he threw the shuriken towards the man.

X.X.X

At the center of the forest, inside the tower, were the exam takers senseis. Anko sighed as she played with the sleeping Anna's hair. She glared at Iruka who sat across from her. He glared back.

"Leave it to you to ruin a good time." Anko muttered under her breath. Iruka heard this.

"Good time?! You took Anna to a BAR Anko. A BAR!" Iruka exploded throwing his hands into the air. "For Kami's sake, she's no less than a year old!"

"She's ahead of the game." Anko smirked.

"What will Naruto say if he finds out? You're lucky I was there to stop you. Something could have happened."

"You can't boss me around! I'm an adult!" Anko said childishly. Anna started to stir in her lap.

"Can you two keep it down, please? I'm trying to read." Kakashi said politely not looking up from his orange smut book.

"Shut up, perv." Anko snapped. Anna was wide awake now. She smiled.

"Perv." Anna giggled.

"Can't wait till her daddy hears that one." Anko laughed. Iruka looked paranoid.

"So who do you think will arrive first?" Asuma asked. He had enough of his friends fighting.

"I think my team will!" Gai declared. "They are the most youthful in this exam!"

"My team will." Anko smiled.

"Why do you think that?" Asuma asked.

"Just a feeling I've got." Anko grinned. _'They trained in this forest.' _Anko thought smugly.

"I think my team will do well." Asuma smiled. "Kiba is good a tracking and such. They'll get a scroll and find this place in no time."

"Same with Shino." Kakashi said. "He's good at tracking. So is Sasuke now that he's got the sharingan. Plus, they've got Sakura's brain to think up a good plan.

"My team could beat up all your teams." Anko said smugly. Everyone looked at her. "Hinata could outmaneuver Shino, Tenten, and Ino. Shikamaru could outsmart Neji, Sakura, and Chouji. And Naruto could easily beat Sasuke, Kiba, and Lee." Anna started clapping her hands at hearing her father's name. Anko smirked at her friends. "My team is better than your teams!" She sang. Everyone sighed.

"Guys!"

Everyone turned to look at Kurenai who had just burst through the door. She looked tired, ragged, and extremely worried. Asuma ran over to support her as she started to fall over.

"Kurenai! What happened?" Asuma asked worriedly.

"I…go…here…as fast…as I…could." Kurenai panted. "We found…bodies…of grass nin…their faces…were…missing." Anko's eyes widened at this. She handed Anna to Iruka and started towards the door.

"Anko? Where are you going?" Iruka asked as Anna started to squirm in his arms.

"I know who did this!" Anko yelled furiously turning to him. "That bastard is here and I'm going after him! It's high time I rip that cocksucking snake's head off!" Anko's eyes widened and she suddenly collapsed on the ground, yelling in agony. She clutched her neck.

"Anko!" Kakashi yelled rushing over to her. He pulled down her jacket's collar a bit and nodded at what he found.

A cursed seal that looked like a triangle of tears. The seal that Anko had since she was little. He also knew who did this. The seal was glowing red.

"Have…to…go…" Anko said angrily as she struggled to get up. Kakashi held her in place.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." He said firmly. Anko turned her furious face towards him.

"Don't you get it? That bastard is a demon container! Container of the eight-tailed snake demon, the Hachibi no Hachimata! The most powerful demon besides the Kyuubi! Naruto will most likely go after that bastard because of that! The kid is strong, but he can't beat him! Not when the demon is in control!" Anko felt tears gather in her eyes. "I won't let that bastard take anything away from me. I'm not gonna let him hurt me again." She whispered. A few tears fell from her eyes.

"Anko? Crying? My, my. This certainly is serious, isn't it?"

Everyone turned to see an ANBU wearing a tiger mask leaning against the door. He removed his mask and smiled at them.

"Tenzou?" Kakashi said arching an eyebrow.

"…Yamato." Anko said softly.

"Don't worry Anko." Yamato smiled. "I'll find him. I'll make sure nothing happens to him." Before anyone could say anything, Yamato was already gone. Anko looked down so her bangs covered her eyes.

"Yamato…thank you…"

X.X.X

Naruto coughed as he wiped off the snake blood and grime off his skin, face, hair, and clothes. Thank Kami for Kage Bunshin. He would have been digested in that snakes belly had it not been for his signature jutsu. He looked around. More trees seemed to have been felled and there were indents and scorch marks on them. That snake summoner and his friends were no where to be found.

Then he heard a girl's scream in the distance.

"That was Sakura." Naruto muttered as he jumped through the foliage. He hoped that they were all okay.

X.X.X

"You hear that Neji? That was a scream of a maiden in danger!" Lee declared pointing in the direction of the scream. "And that scream can be no other than Sakura's. We must go to their aid!"

"We have our own business to take care of, Lee." Neji sighed. "We need not concern ourselves with how the other teams fare."

"I don't know Neji. That scream…and the explosion we heard before…" Tenten said puckering her lips. "You think something's up?"

Neji's eyes narrowed. "Maybe…but we can't worry about it now. We found the other scroll, now let's get to the tower."

"Alright." Tenten said uneasily.

"Wait, I hear something." Lee said holding his hand up to signal for his teammates to stand still and be quiet. Some rustling could be heard.

"Show yourselves!" Lee yelled out. Three people, two girls and a guy, burst out from the bushes.

"Who are you?" Neji asked activating his bloodline limit.

"Are you one of Naruto's acquaintances?" The older looking girl asked.

"Yes, I know Uzumaki." Neji replied. "What's it to you?"

"Then let us pass. We fear that he may be in danger."

"How?"

"The explosion and that scream. They're probably being attacked." Said the boy.

"W-We w-want t-to help t-them." A younger and more nervous looking girl said.

"So you're his friends then?" Tenten asked. The trio nodded.

"Then we shall accompany you!" Lee smiled. "I too, am worried about my friends."

"How do you know it's them?" Neji asked suspiciously.

"Naruto seems to have a habit of getting himself into trouble." The older girl smiled.

"That, I cannot argue with." Neji smiled. "What's your name?"

"Haku." She bowed. "These are my teammates and friends, Saki and Azrael."

All six of them headed in the direction of the scream, aided by Neji's Byakugan.

X.X.X

Naruto stopped running and landed in a clearing. He looked above him to see that his friends were in the trees, still fighting against the snake ninja. He jumped up and landed next to Shikamaru.

The boy looked like he had seen better days. His shoulder was gushing out blood. It looked like he had been stabbed there. His head was also bleeding a bit. He turned towards his blond friend and smiled weakly.

"Heh. Should've known it'd take more than a giant snake to take you out." Shikamaru smiled. Naruto smiled slightly, but frowned as he turned his attention back to the current situation.

Shino was down. He laid by Sakura who was attempting to heal him. It looked like he was unconscious. Sasuke and Hinata were facing the grass nin, who's face had completely peeled off to reveal a pale, white, and male face. Hinata had scratches all over her face and her clothes were a bit torn. The bleeding on Sasuke's arm seemed to have gotten worse and his stamina was almost all gone. Naruto jumped and landed in between his companions.

"Naruto! You're okay!" Hinata said happily. Sasuke acknowledged him with a curt nod. Naruto glared at his opponent who smiled back.

"Looks like you've got more in you than I thought, kid." The man smiled. "But then again, you are the Kyuubi."

"What's he talking about?" Sasuke asked in frustration turning to Naruto. "He's mentioned Kyuubi so many times that's it's starting to get annoying. Do you know this guy?"

"No." Naruto growled as his Chakra claws reformed.

"They don't know?" The man asked astonished. He threw back his head and laughed. "You deceive them, boy! Hasn't he told you what he is?"

"Shut up." Naruto snarled menacingly.

"Don't you know what kind of monster this child is?" The man laughed.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Naruto roared as he threw himself at the man with his claws outstretched.

The snake nin's smiled and pointed his palm towards Naruto. Another giant snake appeared and opened it's jaws waiting to swallow the teenager. Naruto was ready for this. He did a front flip in the air making him rise up a bit. He plowed his claws into the snake's head, spraying snake blood on his hands and clothes. The snake nin smirked. This boy was more powerful than he thought. And annoying.

"I grow tired of your rampaging." The snake nin sighed. "He pointed his palm towards Hinata and Sasuke. A snake, almost two twice as big as the last one, erupted from his palm and jumped at the Hyuuga and Uchiha. Naruto cursed wildly and pumped more chakra into his claws. He dashed in front of his friends and launched himself at the snakes head. He smashed the snakes skull in at impact, but one of the reptile's teeth had cut Naruto across the chest. Blood poured out the wide gash, making Naruto recoil and cough up even more blood. The snake nin jumped towards the injured boy and punched him across the face. Luckily, Sasuke caught Naruto as he was blown backwards by the force of the punch. Naruto stared weakly at Sasuke and Hinata who eyes were wide with shock.

"R-Run!" Naruto gasped as he coughed up more blood.

"No!" Hinata said shaking her head as tears started to form in her eyes. "I'm not going to leave you! Not after you…oh Kami, Naruto!"

"Dobe! How did you do that?" Sasuke asked. "And how the hell could we leave you after you did that?"

"This is all nice, but I have business with my fellow demon."

Sasuke was thrown backwards and smashed into a tree. The snake nin smirked and punch Hinata across the face, making blood fly from her mouth. He hoisted her up and threw her to the side. She crashed into Shikamaru who was running to help his friends. They landed on one of the lower branches.

Naruto felt something wet and slimy wrap around his torso and haul him up in the air. It was the snake nin's tongue. The blond struggled to move or get away, but most of his chakra had been used trying to stop that snake. He had also lost a lot of his energy from the gash across his chest. The snake nin lifted up Naruto's shirt and smirked.

"So this is what the seal looks like, huh?" The snake nin smirked. "But what's this? It's seems to be dulling. Is the fur ball breaking free? I can't have that, so I'll fix it for you."

A purple flame appeared on each digit on his right hand. He smiled as he watched Naruto squirm.

"**Gogyo-Fu-in!"**

The ninja hit the boy in the stomach, letting him go as he did so. Naruto fell limp and was thrown against a tree. He slumped over, knocked out.

"Naruto!" Sasuke groaned as he tried to get up. The snake nin smiled and turned towards the Uchiha.

"And now to do what I came here to do." He smiled. "You remind me so much of your brother."

"Itachi?!" Sasuke gasped. Shit! Why couldn't he move?

"I am Orochimaru, one of the three Sannin of Konoha and also know as the Great Snake." He smiled. "Come and sneak me out after you've passed this test if you desire power. It doesn't matter if you want to or not. They all come eventually." His head stretched and sprang towards the black haired genin with his mouth wide open. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

It never came. He opened his eyes and was shocked at who had saved him.

Shikamaru stood there with the snake nin biting his left arm. He slashed the ninja across the forehead with a kunai making the Great Snake pull back. Shikamaru smiled.

"Didn't think I was out yet, did you?" He smiled.

"BRAT!" Orochimaru roared. "YOU INTERFERED!"

Shikamaru's smile turned into a grimance. He screamed and fell over, clutching his arm.

"It hurts! It hurts!" The Nara yelled rolling around. Sasuke stared at him in shock. He was the only on left standing. What could he do?

"Sasuke-kun!"

The Uchiha's eyes widened when he saw Rock Lee appear in front of him. The jumpsuit wearing ninja smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"We're here to help."

The rest of Lee's team appeared along with three more people Sasuke was unfamiliar with. He smiled. Their chances of winning had increased.

"Saki! Take care of the injured." A girl wearing a mist ninja headband ordered. A younger girl wearing the same headband nodded and leaned down to help Shikamaru. The older girl turned towards him.

"Can you still fight?"

Sasuke smirked. "I'm just getting started." The girl smiled at him.

X.X.X

Naruto opened his eyes. This drips and drops he heard confirmed his whereabouts. He was in his mindscape.

Terrified would be a good word to describe how he was feeling. He couldn't remember the last time he was here. He could hear the Kyuubi's breathing echoing through the corridors. Naruto closed his eyes and tried to break out of mindscape, but every time he tried he was still ankle deep in water, pipes were set over his head, and the Kyuubi could still be heard. As Naruto turned to run away from the Kyuubi's cage. He suddenly found himself staring into the demon's large red eyes. Naruto screamed and fell back into the water. The Kyuubi laughed.

"**Long time no see, kit." **The Kyuubi chuckled. He frowned at his container. **"But you seem to think differently of me now. You're scared of me. What's wrong? Are we back to basis one?"**

"Why am I here?" Naruto asked standing up, regaining some of his cool.

"**You were knocked out, kit. My old acquaintance placed that seal on you in a feeble attempt to keep me locked up and separate from you. But I've already made to much of an impact on your body to be separated. He was a fool. Always was. That's the downside to using a human body. You're limited to the foolish mortal seals of the earth. But it looks like that snake hasn't touched his host's soul. What a weakling."**

"Which one is he?" Naruto asked.

"**He is the container of the Hachibi no Hachimata, the eight-tailed snake demon. The strongest bijuu. Besides me, of course." **The Kyuubi chuckled.

"Snake, huh? Fits him." Naruto muttered darkly.

"**You know…I can't wait to get out of here and beat that arrogant snake myself." **The Kyuubi mused. Naruto's eyes widened. **"It's awfully cramped in the cage nowadays. Indeed, I can't wait to be free again."**

"You're not getting out." Naruto said fiercely. His voice was a bit shaky. The Kyuubi laughed.

"**You're denser than I thought! And even more dense than that! Or is it just stubbornness. Maybe denial? It won't matter much soon." **The Kyuubi laughed ignoring the blond before him.

"Earlier…you said that the Hachibi hadn't touched his host's soul. What did you mean?" Naruto asked.

"**The Hachibi is completely in control of the host's body." **The Kyuubi replied. **"Though the human remains conscious at the same time, aware of what the demon is doing with his body."**

"Complete Shift?" Naruto asked with his eyes wide.

"**No." **The Kyuubi shook its massive head. **"If it was Complete Shift, he would have turned into the Hachibi's animal form. The human's appearance hasn't changed at all."**

"So the pale skin, purple marking, bad dress, and transvestite look is what Orochimaru's body really looks like?" Naruto muttered in disgust.

"**The human is too weak to fight off someone as powerful as the Hachibi. So, the demon is the current user of the body, though he cannot use any of his demonic powers. Since he is using the human's body without completely transforming it, he is limited to the flimsy jutsus and techniques you humans use to fight. The only thing that's really different is his immense amount of chakra. He's got a lot of it, but not as much as you." **The Kyuubi added as an afterthought. **"The only thing keeping Hachibi from obtaining his true form is the human's will to keep a hold on his own soul. He refuses to let the snake devour it. Pity for him, lucky for us."**

Naruto took all this in. So the real Orochimaru wasn't in control after all? So it was the Hachibi he had been fighting? The only thing keeping him from fighting a real demon was the fact that the real Orochimaru was still in possession of his soul? Could he still beat the demon if he was limited like the Kyuubi said? Naruto frowned. No. That demon had taken down his team, and team seven. Not to mention he was mortally wounded. What could he do?

"**You want to save them, kit?"**

Naruto looked up and his eyes widened. A boy, that looked just like him, stood in front of him. He knew this boy. He had the same hair, only it was red and slightly more wild. His skin was pale white, not sickly like Orochimaru, his skin seemed to glow and looked transparent. His whisker marks were bigger and they were red. He wore the same clothes, only they were pitch black. He had glowing blue marks all over his skin. The part about this boy that scared Naruto the most were his eyes. Black, needle-like slits were his pupils, much like his own. His eyes were not blue, but a blood red. What creeped him out the most was the thin line of blue that bordered the slitted pupils, but was inside the red of his eyes. His teeth were sharp and jagged as he smiled and his nails ended in points. This boy, was a demon.

"**You could use my power, kit." **The boy chuckled. Naruto winced. The part that made it even worse was that this boy was the Kyuubi.

"Never." Naruto spat.

The Kyuubi chuckled and shook his head. He reached forward. Naruto tried to take a few steps back but he found that he couldn't move. Was it fear that kept him from moving? The demon boy's hand kept on inching closer and closer. It seemed like a swinging pendulum that would cut him in two at any moment. The Kyuubi grasped Naruto's face.

But his hand past right though.

The Kyuubi pulled back and shook his head at the petrified Naruto. **"It sucks that I can't take on a physical form yet. That damn seal really is a pain in the ass. Oh well, I'll be patient."**

"W-What?"

"**Or we could just hurry things along a little bit." **The Kyuubi boy smiled. Naruto's eyes widened. **"Use my power, kit. We can save you're friends."**

"Heh, 'WE'? There hasn't ever been a 'WE' in our relationship." Naruto snarled. "It was only recently I realized it had always been a 'YOU'. From the time you started training me you've been planning this. Planning to use my bloodline to release your chakra and take control of my body. I know using your power releases more of your chakra. Never again will I go into Partial Shift to benefit 'YOU'!"

"**You're right about that, kit." **The Kyuubi smirked. **"But I don't think you have a choice now, do you? I know what's happening out there. You're friends are losing. That other Hyuuga and his teammates have come to help. So has the Sanbi's container and her team. They can't win. And you can't either unless you use my power. There's no way out of this one. Not this time."**

"I WON"T!" Naruto screamed. "I believe in them, they'll win."

The Kyuubi rolled his eyes. **"Believe in them? What good'll that do? I don't think you fully understand their situation." **

The Kyuubi slashed upwards and a rift opened. No, it was like a vision. A TV screen showing his friends battle the Hachibi. Naruto stared at the vision the Kyuubi had made.

Sasuke was down for the count. He sat groaning against a tree next to his teammates. Sakura tried her best to tend to him. Shino was still unconscious. Team Gai and team Wave were fighting the snake nin. Lee looked like his stamina was running out and Neji looked no better. Haku still seemed to be in good shape, but Naruto could tell she was starting to falter. Tenten supported Azrael, ignoring the gash on her leg. Azrael had a huge cut on his hip. Orochimaru smirked and seemed like he was going to finish all of them off. Aside from a cut on his forehead, he was relatively unharmed.

Naruto's eyes widened when he spotted his teammates. Saki was tending to a yelling Shikamaru with Hinata trying her best to help the healer. The Hyuuga heiress also seemed to try her best not to cry. Shikamaru was screaming in agony, clutching on to his arm. He saw something as Saki tried to lift his arm up. It was a mark that looked like a triangle of squiggly lines. It was weird, but he could tell that thing was what was causing him so much pain. The Kyuubi snapped his fingers and suddenly Naruto could hear what they were saying.

"_Kami! It feels like my arm is being torn off!" Shikamaru screamed as tears started to gather in his eyes. It hurt so much._

"_P-Please! Try to calm down!" Saki begged as she tried her best to work on his injured shoulder. "Hinata! Can you find out what's up with that mark?"_

"_T-The skin around it is irritated. It looks like it's infecting his body." Hinata answered. Her Byakugan was activated. "I-I can't find what's wrong though. He's just won't stop burning up!"_

"_I'm done with his shoulder, let's see what I can do!" Saki said making her way back to his arm._

The Kyuubi snapped his fingers again and the rift closed up. Naruto fell to his knees. His eyes were wide. The Kyuubi laughed sadistically.

"**I am all to familiar with that seal!" **The Kyuubi Naruto barked. **"It's a seal that Hachibi has always used. It was meant for the Uchiha boy, but it looks like your foolish friend interfered. That curse mark is used to mark people he wants for his followers, or new body."**

"New body?" Naruto asked.

"**Yes. In order to remain living and young he must take control of someone's body and use it for himself. It's like shopping for new clothes in a sense. You don't have to worry about your friend being used though, the seal would probably kill him anyway."**

Naruto's eyes widened. He slowly looked up to his demonic double. The Kyuubi cackled.

"**Did I forget to tell you? Only ten percent of the people marked with that seal live. Only the strong come out alive. I doubt your friend will live. Most likely it would be too, 'troublesome', for him to fight it!" **The Kyuubi laughed sinisterly.

"Shikamaru…dead…" Naruto muttered. His eyes had dulled in color and his tone was emotionless. The Kyuubi continued to laugh.

"**Don't think he'll stop there! He'll kill all of your friends! The Hyuuga girl, The Sanbi container, everyone!"**

"Everyone…"

"…**But you can save them. Only by using my powers." **The Kyuubi held out his hand.

"…"

"**Don't you want to take revenge against that snake? Don't you want to kill him?"**

"…"

"…"

"Yes."

"**Then let the Hachibi witness MY power once again. I'll remind him that he still fears me!"**

Naruto reached forwards and grasped the Kyuubi's hand. It didn't go though this time. A flash of light enveloped the blond.

"…**I'll be sure to leave a mark on you after this one, kit…"**

X.X.X

Haku panted as she looked up at her opponent. Things were looking grim for their team. Everyone was almost out of strength and the snake nin had done something to Shikamaru. She didn't know what to do.

"This has been fun, Sanbi." Orochimaru chuckled. Haku glared at him. He had been referring to her as her demon thoughout their battle. It perplexed and confused team Gai, but they didn't asked questions. "But I feel I must end this. I become bored." Haku's eyes widened as he made some hand signs to perform a forbidden technique.

"Everyone! Run!"

Orochimaru was suddenly smashed into a tree by a vine that had appeared out of nowhere. An ANBU wearing a tiger mask landed on one of the branches and raised his fists at the Great Snake.

"Come, Orochimaru!" The man yelled. The man climbed to his feet and glared menacingly at the newcomer.

"It's just pest after pest. THIS IS ANNOYING!" The man shouted as he attacked the ANBU man.

"Run!" The ANBU said again as he blocked the snake nin's various punches. "I'll hold him off!"

"**Enough."**

Everyone halted. They all turned towards Naruto, who was climbing to his feet. His features were sharpened, and a strange red aura appeared around him. All his wounds were healed.

"No…not again…" Hinata whispered.

"Damn!" The ANBU cursed as he jumped back. He made a few hand signs. "I have to stop this before it goes to far!"

Branches and vines sprang towards the Kyuubi container. But all the wood was burnt to a crisp before it could even touch the boy.

"Hachibi." Naruto said looking up at Orochimaru. The snake nin's eyes were wide.

"**Die."**

Naruto was suddenly in front of the snake nin. The blond punched the man in the stomach, almost punching right through his skin. The sannin rocketed off with Naruto running after him. Naruto ran and caught the man's foot and swung him into a tree, making the giant oak fall over when the snake nin hit it. Everyone watched in astonishment and Naruto fought the snake ninja. And he was winning!

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" The ANBU roared. "I'll handle Naruto and Orochimaru! Get going!"

Everyone nodded dumbly and did as they were told. Sakura picked up Sasuke and Haku hoisted up Shino. Rock Lee helped Tenten support Azrael and Neji activated his Byakugan. Saki helped Shikamaru up. The boy was out cold. Hinata just stared at Naruto. He was slaughtering the snake nin.

"Everyone! Follow me!" Neji commanded. "I'll find us a safe place to rest!" Everyone ran off, following the Hyuuga genius. Hinata stayed rooted in place. The ANBU noticed this.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" The ANBU repeated. Hinata stayed where she was.

"Naruto." She whispered.

The blond lifted up Orochimaru, holding his head. The ninja's face was beaten and bleeding. So was the rest of his body. He coughed up some blood.

"Damn you…Kyuubi." Orochimaru coughed.

"**Damn, straight." **Naruto smirked. His voice was different. His Chakra Claws appeared. They were red instead of blue. Naruto plunged them into the snake nin's stomach. Orochimaru's eyes widened as he coughed up even more blood.

"You'll pay for what you did to my friends." Naruto growled. He launched off, taking Orochimaru with him. The snake nin was smashed into trees as the blond guided him through his trajectory. The snake nin tried to escape, but the claws in his stomach held him in place. His back exploded in pain as he was smashed into each tree. They got farther and farther away from the ANBU and Hinata.

"I have to follow them." The ANBU nodded. He turned towards Hinata. "You go find your friends, I'll take care of this." He darted off in Naruto and Orochimaru's direction.

Hinata sat there. He had changed again, only it was worse than wave and cloud. Tears formed in Hinata's eyes. If only she could help him…

Shikamaru's words floated into her mind. Hinata looked up. Determination flashed in her eyes. She climbed to her feet and activated he Byakugan.

"I won't leave you, Naruto." Hinata said. "I said I'd stick by your side. Whatever is happening to you…I'll help stop it!"

She took off in the direction the ANBU went. Her Byakugan flared. She would be the one to help him this time.

X.X.X

A/N: Hmm…the beginning was okay, the transitions were fine, and it was a good length. Alright. I'm okay with this chapter. Are you guys okay with it?

Well, the majority of the bijuu containers have been introduced. Naruto, Haku, Heath, Gaara, and Orochimaru. Only three left to go!

Hope you guys are okay with Orochimaru being a demon container. And also that Shikamaru got the curse seal instead of Sasuke. Those were actually TWO of my surprises. Don't worry, it's all for plot development and the things I plan to do with the Hachibi and Shikamaru's cursed seal will please you all I'm sure. I hope. Just be patient with me. Things will hopefully get even better. You guys will probably complain about Sasuke and not having the curse seal, but hey…tough shit. And will Hinata finally talk with Naruto about his Demon Shift?

Anywho, you know how before Gaara met Naruto he lived for killing? Well, until I finish this story, I live for getting reviews for it. Please review.

Kiiam.


	12. The inner and outer battles

Yamato dashed through the forest trees

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I think I uploaded this one in good time…I guess. I think this chapter was good. The beginning and a little towards the end might be a little shabby, but I'm not the judge here. I've got something special in this chapter. I'm glad I was finally able to write something like it in here. Read and then review. Enjoy.

Also I'd like to, again, thank everyone who reviewed. I hit over 100 reviews so I thank all of you for reviewing, or even reading my story for that matter.

**Chapter 12**

Yamato dashed through the forest trees. He tried his best to keep the two demon containers in sight, but he was having trouble. They were fast. Or at least one of them was. Naruto was plowing Orochimaru through the trees.

The boy was conscious and in control of his actions, Yamato was sure of that. But he felt something else within the boy, and it was just as conscious and alive as he was.

His worst fear was that this other presence was the Kyuubi. Was it the demon that was the drive to Naruto's actions? He was not sure. Orochimaru was wrong to provoke the blond demon container. If this continued, the Great Snake would be killed.

Yamato's eyes narrowed as he thought of the snake nin. He had caused so much pain to Anko, he had placed the curse seal on Shikamaru, and caused Naruto to lose control. The snake demon container was probably here for the Uchiha, just like they had suspected. But his plans had failed and now Shikamaru might die. Yamato picked up his pace. He'd make that monster pay for Anko, Shikamaru, Naruto…and himself.

Not too far behind him though, was the young Hyuuga heiress. She pushed her aching legs further as she noticed that the ANBU had started to go faster. He was far ahead of her, but thanks to the Byakugan, she didn't lose sight of him.

Hinata let her mind wander for a moment and she thought about Naruto. He had gone berserk again. How could this happen? That snake nin had done something to him. Was it when that ninja punched him in the stomach and knocked him out?

Shikamaru had also been greatly harmed. That thing on his neck…was a seal mark.

Why had Orochimaru placed it on him? No. It wasn't meant for the Nara. The snake nin had been after Sasuke. But why? What did that seal do? Why was it causing him so much pain? More questions came. Did Orochimaru know Naruto? The way he had spoken to him it sounded like he was being very familiar with him. Did he know Haku as well? He had spoken in a similar matter to the female mist nin.

Hinata shook her head. Now wasn't the time to answer these questions. She would find the answers when she caught up to Naruto…and bashed that snake nin's head in a few times.

X.X.X

"Wait!"

Haku kept moving.

"Hold up!"

She kept running.

"I need to ask you something!"

Haku picked up her pace.

"I said, hold it!"

Neji dug his heels into the ground and skidded to a halt. He glared defiantly at Haku as she spun around.

"We have to keep moving!" Haku said desperately. Shino was still unconscious in her arms. "We need to get to a safe location! Not only for the sake of the injured, but for ourselves as well! You don't understand the situation here!"

"Which is exactly why I'm not moving any farther." Neji snapped. He glared at the mist nin. "You are going to tell me, no, all of us just what is going on here."

"We don't have time. I'll explain everything best I can when I know we're safe. Until then, you have to trust me!" Haku said.

"Trust you?" Neji said incredulously. "What reason do I have to trust you? I only met you less than a half-hour ago and half of us are injured severely!"

"Neji, I think for now we should do as she says." Lee said trying to calm his teammate down. "She seems to-"

"Shut up, Lee." Neji said darkly. He turned back to Haku. "I want answers, and I want them now."

Haku looked at her teammates. They all had worried expressions on their faces. It didn't seem like negotiating with this boy was possible. She looked at the other genin. They were silent, but Haku could tell from the looks in their eyes that they also wanted to know what was going on. Haku sighed.

"Please, Neji-san. We need to get everyone to a safe location. Everyone here is endangered if we don't leave soon." Haku pleaded. "I will explain, I promise, but we need to get going. Look at Shikamaru." Neji looked at the shadow manipulator who was being carried by Saki. The younger girl looked at him with pleading eyes. Shikamaru had broken out in a cold sweat and would twitch every few seconds. The Hyuuga boy clenched his teeth. This was frustrating…

"Neji…let's do as she says." Tenten said putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, I agree." Lee said with a sad look on his face. "I too, am frustrated about all this. I do not know what is happening, and it angers me. But we need to help our friends first. The time for answering our numerous questions is not now."

Neji sighed in defeat. He glared at Haku. "I don't trust you. I'm only following you now because I want to help our friends. Nothing more."

Haku smiled at him. "Thank you." The group pressed on, blissfully unaware of what exactly was happening to Naruto at the moment.

X.X.X

Orochimaru spat on the ground. He had finally broken away from Naruto, but the wound in his stomach was still bleeding. Looks like his sealing jutsu hadn't stopped the Kyuubi from connecting with his host. He looked out from behind the tree. He cursed silently to himself. Who would have thought that he, the Great Snake, would be hiding from a mere boy. No. He was not just a boy. Not anymore.

"Come out, Hachibi. I don't want to have to destroy this whole forest just to find you." Naruto's voice called out.

Orochimaru relaxed a bit. His voice had gone back to normal. Naruto was conscious, in control of his body, but only a few minutes ago his voice had sounded exactly like the nine-tailed fox he feared so much.

The fox was doing something to his host that he, the Hachibi, could not. He was completely taking control. The fox had two advantages. His host was a mere boy, not nearly strong enough to fight back the most powerful of the tailed beasts. The other advantage was that the boy's bloodline allowed the Kyuubi to leak out more of his chakra, making it easier for him to take control of his host, if only for a short interval. Still, if the boy continued to allow the Kyuubi push him into Partial Shift, the Kyuubi would be able to break free. The Hachibi could already tell the boy had already gone through the shift a few times in the past. The progress did not look good. Orochimaru clenched his fists. How could he get away?

"Found you."

His eyes widened. The tree he was hiding behind was broken in half by Naruto's fist that smashed into the snake nin's back after he had broken through the tree. Orochimaru flew forward like a rocket and smashed into a tree, making in fall over from the impact. As he tried to recover, Naruto dashed over, grabbed his leg and threw the Hachibi container at another tree. He crashed into the oak with such force he went right through it and slammed into another tree that was behind it. Naruto looked up at the snake nin from the ground.

"Is this all you are?" Naruto said in a deadpan voice. "I expected more from you, snake."

"I'm not done yet, Kyuubi." The snake sannin smirked. He bit his thumb and made some hand signs. Naruto sighed. His attempts were in vain.

Naruto created three shadow clones. He placed his hand on the first one's chest.

"Chakra Seed." Naruto said. He injected an ample amount of chakra into his doubleganger. He did the same with the other two clones.

"Die, Kyuubi boy!" Orochimaru yelled as three enormous snakes burst from his hand. The all dove straight for Naruto, jaws opened and ready to feast.

Naruto simply pointed at the snakes. His clones jumped high in the air and each one jumped inside a snake. Orochimaru almost smiled. Almost. He knew there was a reason Naruto had purposely given up his clones to the snakes, and it gave him a bad feeling.

Naruto smiled slightly. He had always wanted to try this. He made a cross sign with his fingers.

"Boom."

The three snakes exploded. Orochimaru shielded his face as snake blood and grim sprayed all over him. That move he had used on them…he used his own chakra to make them explode when his dispelled the clones! That bloodline really came in handy…

When Orochimaru uncovered his eyes, his vision was obscured by Naruto's fist. It smashed into the snake nin's face and sent him hurling through a total of four trees. The snake nin, however, got up and took another fighting stance. Blood poured from his face.

"You don't know when to give up." Naruto said appearing a few feet in front of Orochimaru.

"I could say the same to you, fox!" Orochimaru spat.

"This is boring. Playing with a toy is only fun for a short time." Naruto said emotionlessly. "It's about time I broke you in two." He raised his fist and uncurled his fingers. His Chakra Claws appeared on his fingertips. Orochimaru's eyes widened.

Naruto suddenly felt constricted. He looked down to find that strong vines were wrapping around his body. Naruto stayed still and stared at the vines as they climbed up his body and around his shoulders. Was the snake doing this?

"Naruto!"

The boy turned his head ever so slightly. Standing on another branch was an ANBU. He had a tiger mask on his face. Naruto recognized him. He was the man he had met on the day of his birthday. What was he doing here?

"Stop this, Naruto!" The man yelled. "You don't know what you're doing! Please stop before this goes to far!"

"I know perfectly well what I'm doing." Naruto replied coolly. He turned his head back to Orochimaru. "I'll stop when his head is no longer connected to his body."

Orochimaru looked at the newcomer and smiled sinisterly despite the many wounds and gashes he had all over his body. "Well, well. If it isn't Yamato. You're taking care of the boy too? It seems my failures just seem to _flock _to this boy. First Anko, now you."

"Silence." The ANBU snarled. "I would like nothing more than to let Naruto beat you until you can no longer move, but what he's doing puts others in danger and himself as well."

"Kill…Orochimaru…Hachibi…" Naruto whispered. The vines around him started to wilt and weaken. Some even started to crumble and fall to the ground in dead clusters. Yamato narrowed his eyes.

'_The Kyuubi's chakra is negatively affecting everything around it. Anything that touches, or gets near him for that matter is getting corrupted.' _Yamato thought. The branch he was standing on also seemed to be dying. _'I have to stop this before it goes even farther.'_

Yamato held his hand out towards Naruto. There was a word painted on the palm on his hand. Naruto raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sit?" Naruto questioned in mild curiosity.

"I'm not going to let the Kyuubi take control of your body." Yamato said firmly. "I have the power to suppress the Kyuubi's chakra. Let's see you move now."

Naruto tried to break free of his confinement. He found that he couldn't move. The blond sighed. So he wasn't kidding.

"Thank you for the save, Yamato." Orochimaru chuckled. "But as you can see, I'm in no shape to continue fighting. I hope we can do this again one day."

Yamato silently cursed to himself. He wanted to take his revenge on Orochimaru, for himself and Anko, but he couldn't fight the bastard and suppress the Kyuubi at the same time. Unfortunately, he would have to let the snake go…

"heh…heh heh…"

Yamato looked at Naruto. Orochimaru's eyes shot to the boy as well. Was he…laughing?

"This is funny." Naruto chuckled. "Everyone is trying to stop me, spouting about how I'm not in control. Snake, you placed that seal on me to try and cut the Kyuubi off, right? Well, it didn't work…it disappeared…I'm in control…I'm conscious…and I'm going to kill the bastard who hurt my friends and did whatever you did to Shikamaru…kill…kill…"

"Listen to yourself, Naruto!" Yamato pleaded. "You can't deny that the Kyuubi is not conscious as well. Do you realize how much bloodlust is festering off you right now?"

Naruto wasn't listening. "I don't need the Kyuubi's power to break twigs." He chuckled. "I've got my powers…of the Unamekei."

"Chakra Spikes!"

Chakra burst out from Naruto's body, all of it crafted into sharp dagger-like spikes. The razors cut vines to shreds, freeing their captive. Yamato hopped behind a tree to avoid being hit by the pointy projectiles that flew his way. Orochimaru mimicked him as some spikes also shot towards him.

"Oh, no you don't!" Naruto laughed as he shot towards Orochimaru and passed the spikes that were headed towards him. He grabbed the sannin and spun him around. Orochimaru cried out in agony as each of the daggers hit and sank into his skin. A few moments after they hit their mark, they dissolved into the air. Deep holes were left in their places. Bright red blood poured out of them. Naruto smirked and kicked the snake nin into the air. Orochimaru flew up like a rag doll. Naruto crouched and the aura of red chakra surrounded him again.

"This is for my friends…and for what you did to Shikamaru. Die, scum!" Naruto roared. He launched himself up in the air. His claws seemed bigger and sharper. Orochimaru knew he couldn't avoid it. He closed his eyes and waited for his death to come and end this pain.

A sickening sound could be heard. The sounds of something cutting deep into someone's flesh.

Naruto smirked. Finally it had been done.

"N-Naru…Naruto…"

Naruto's eyes widened. He looked up in shock and found that it wasn't Orochimaru who he had stabbed. He realized in horror that his claws were imbedded into Hinata's shoulder, not Orochimaru's heart. Naruto quickly pulled his claws out from her skin and she let out a cry of pain as she did so. The three fell down to the earth. Naruto grabbed Hinata and landed safely on a branch. He set her down carefully. Orochimaru plummeted to the ground and landed with a loud "thud".

Hinata sat up and clutched her shoulder as blood gushed out of the wound. She winced as waves of pain seemed to crash into her every second. Despite this, she smiled weakly at Naruto.

"Are you okay…Naruto?" Hinata asked. She received no answer. "Naruto?"

The boy's back was to her. He was hunched over. Naruto stared wide-eyed at his claws and hands. Blood was all over them.

Hinata's blood…his friend's blood…he hurt her…

"I…I…I…" Naruto stuttered. His words sounded like a broken record. He sounded like he was afraid. Like a lost child. He stared at his blood covered hands. His eyes were glassy and looked like tears were threatening to fall. Why was she even here?

"…I…hurt…Hinata…" Naruto said it as if she weren't there. He had been shocked out of his berserker state. The red aura retreated and his features returned to normal. He was himself again. Mostly.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked as she delicately touched his shoulder.

"Stay…back…"

"W-What?"

"Stay…back…away…leave…" Naruto muttered. He grabbed his shoulders and started rocking himself back and forth. Hinata pushed back her pain for a moment and placed both hands on his shoulders. She didn't move despite his protest.

Down below, Orochimaru was picking himself up. He spat out some blood that had gathered in his mouth. It even seemed like his saliva had been replaced with blood. He growled and looked up. Never in his life had he been so close to death. He had indeed been reminded that he still feared the Kyuubi. Though…another part of him was almost happy that he had almost died. He could feel it.

"Looks like my host was looking forward to death." Orochimaru muttered to himself. "Lucky that girl interfered. It would have been troublesome to find a new body."

A fist slammed into the right side of his face. Orochimaru flew across the ground and landed at the base of a tree. He looked up and growled. Yamato stood there rubbing his fist with a satisfied smirk on his face. His mask was removed from his face.

"Kami knows how long I've been waiting to do that." Yamato smiled. "Now, if only Anko could get her chance."

"Tch. I knew it was you behind that mask." Orochimaru spat. He shook his head and got up. Somehow, a smile made its way to his face.

"Wipe that grin off your face." Yamato snarled. "It's time we finally end this."

"No. Not today." Orochimaru smiled. "I'm in no condition to do anything right now. I think your time would be better spent helping those brats up in the tree. One of them is severely wounded, the other is in shock. I may not have been able to escape the Kyuubi, but…"

Orochimaru made a few hand signs and a flash of light enveloped the area. Yamato covered his eyes. When he could see again, Orochimaru was gone.

"I know I can escape you…" Orochimaru's voice echoed into the wind.

"Dammit!" Yamato cursed. He punched a nearby tree in frustration. He had slipped away once again.

He shook off his anger and turned his attention to a groan that came from above. Yamato jumped up and landed on the branch that Hinata and Naruto were sitting on. Naruto was hunched over with a blank look on his face and Hinata was holding his shoulders. AN expression of pain was on her face. Yamato winced inwardly as when he saw the deep claw gashes on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata looked at him.

"ANBU-san…"

"We have to find a place to rest." Yamato ordered standing up. "It will be dark soon, so we should find a cave or someplace to rest.

"Alright…but Naruto…" Hinata said looking at the boy.

"I'll carry him if I have to." Yamato assured her. Hinata nodded and stood up.

"AH!" Hinata screamed as the pain in her shoulder skyrocketed. It was bleeding like crazy.

"Hinata!" Naruto said startled as he snapped out of his shocked state. He grabbed onto her as she started to fall. "Are you okay?" He mentally slapped himself. Of course she wasn't.

"I-I'm fine." Hinata smiled weakly. "I can-" She whimpered as the pain became unbearable. The wound wouldn't stop bleeding. Naruto tore off a piece of his shirt and tried his best to clean the wound. Yamato took out some bandages and wrapped them around Hinata's shoulder.

"It's not much, but it should stop it from bleeding." Yamato said. "I can get you properly patched up when we find shelter."

"T-Thank you, um…" Hinata said.

"Yamato." The ANBU smiled.

"Thank you, Yamato." Hinata smiled.

"Let's get moving." Yamato said.

"Right." Hinata nodding her head in agreement. "We should-eep!" She let out a yelp as she felt her feet leave the ground. She blinked twice and blushed the shade of a tomato as what Naruto was doing.

"Um…Naruto? Y-You don't h-have to c-carry me." Hinata said shyly. Crap, she was stuttering again.

"Yes, I do." Naruto replied. "You're hurt, and I don't want you straining yourself. Don't use the Byakugan either. We'll find shelter while you rest."

"B-But…"

"Your safety is top priority." Naruto stated firmly, making Hinata blush even more. "Just rest. I don't mind carrying you for a little while."

Hinata was still hesitant, but she smiled and leaned on his back. "Thank you, Naruto." She whispered quietly.

"Let's get a move on then." Yamato chuckled. The three set off to find a place to bed for the night. Naruto looked up as he felt a few drops of water hit his face.

"It's raining." Naruto mumbled. Despite how thick the forest trees were, the rain still managed to find its way through the branches and leaves of each tree.

X.X.X

"Damn him…damn him…damn him…"

Orochimaru leaned against the base of a tree. He was trying his best to heal his wounds. His face was twisted into a sneer that made him look even uglier than he already was. His thoughts were on the Kyuubi.

"Damn you…Kyuubi. You always ruin everything." Orochimaru snarled.

He was so weak. Weaker than he had been in a long time. He felt like he was only five percent alive. He so weak that he almost lost control…

His host had almost taken control. The Hachibi's spirit had weakened. Naruto had beaten him into a state where he could feel the human soul inside of him. The only thing human in this body was his soul. Orochimaru still had a firm grip on his body and wouldn't let go.

"If I could've used my full power, I would have won!" Orochimaru yelled into the wilderness.

"_Maybe not."_

"Shut up!" Orochimaru growled. "I'll be myself again in a few days, so don't get used to this."

"I…I…"

Orochimaru smirked. "We could've won if you had surrendered yourself to me earlier you know."

"No! I-I'll never d-do that!"

Orochimaru leaned back against the tree. He sighed in frustration. "You're weak. Why was I sealed inside such a weak human? You're weak, yet you cling to your own miserable life. The pain would stop if you just surrendered yourself."

"_Never! Hachibi! I will defeat you one day! You'll see why I became a sannin!"_

"Heh. Empty words. You just can't wait until this body dies, can't you?" Orochimaru chuckled. "But it won't. I'll have a new body soon. The Uchiha will be mine, and that's even more years added to my lifespan."

"…"

"What? Not talking?"

"_He'll beat you."_

"What?"

"_Hachibi, I know you'll fight Naruto again, whether you want to or not. He'll come back for you because of what you did to his friend. He'll beat you, and I can finally move on…"_

"Still yearning for death, huh? That's a hollow victory."

"_No. I'll finally be able to rest. The pain will stop, and you will be gone. I look forward to the day I die. I can finally be free of this curse…"_

"Orochimaru, you are a weak human." Orochimaru said standing up. "So weak, that you only see victory in death. But I'll find a new host even after you die. This world will never be rid of me."

"This will end soon, Hachibi. Soon, my body will no longer be used by you…"

"Tch. Just shut up." Orochimaru growled. He opened up a carrier scroll and a speaker appeared above it. The snake nin smiled. "Now, time to give Kabuto his orders."

X.X.X

Haku sighed. They had found a small cave under the base of a tree and decided to stay there for the night. It was raining, so the other teams were probably bedding too, but Rock Lee had insisted that he be allowed to stay up and be night watch. He had pointed out that this might also be a good chance for some teams to ambush others in this weather. Haku had agreed to the night watch. The taijutsu specialist was sitting near the entrance of the cave.

Haku looked behind her. Saki was still tending to Shikamaru with Azrael helping her. The boy was still out cold. His fever had gotten worse and the medic nin was trying everything she could to keep it down to a minimum. That mark Orochimaru had placed on him was doing all this. She hoped things would turn out okay.

She hoped Naruto and Hinata were okay. Last she saw her fellow demon container, he was using the Hachibi container as a human chainsaw as he felled trees by smashing the snake nin's body into them. Hinata had stayed behind, most likely to try and help her teammate. But what could she do. Haku had some faith in the ANBU. It seemed like he knew what he was doing, but she wasn't to sure.

Haku turned back to the other genin. They were all crowded in a circle around her. She had got done telling them most of what was going on. She hated going behind Naruto's back and talking about it, but she didn't directly say that he, herself, and Orochimaru, were demon containers. She just said they had a past conflict and that's how the snake nin knew them. Shikamaru being out cold and Naruto and Hinata elsewhere made it so the other genin couldn't say she was lying. They didn't have the other three to ask questions too.

"That man was after me." Sasuke said quietly. "It's all my fault everyone got hurt."

"Don't say that, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, placing her hand on his arm.

"Indeed. You could not help that he chose you to attack." Shino asserted. The boy had woken up as Haku was explaining things.

"But Shikamaru got hurt, and dobe and Hinata were left behind." Sasuke said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. That ANBU looked pretty tough." Tenten smiled.

Neji had stayed silent ever since Haku had gone off on her story. She had explained things very thoroughly. About their previous encounter with Orochimaru. But he was still confused.

The Hyuuga boy was no dunce. Many questions still floated around in his head. A lot of questions were still unanswered. Why had that snake called Naruto "Kyuubi" and Haku "Sanbi"? He knew not what Sanbi signified but knew all too well about the nine-tailed fox. What had happened to Naruto? His features had changed and he felt the bloodlust radiating off the boy. He had become crazy strong in a matter of minutes. That snake nin had used some sort of forbidden jutsu on him that knocked him out, but when he came to, it was like he was an entirely different person.

A voice in the back of his head was screaming for him to ask these questions. The voice was screaming for answers. But Neji had a strange feeling that only Naruto could and should answer these questions. So Neji stayed quiet. The story that Haku told did not seem believable to him for some reason. When Naruto came back, he'd get answers. He would find out just who…or what…that boy was.

X.X.X

Hinata winced slightly as some disinfectant was sprayed on the wound. Yamato wrapped some new bandages around her shoulder and smiled at her after he was done.

"There we go. All done." Yamato grinned. "It should be fine after a few days. Just don't strain it so much because the wound could easily reopen."

"Thank you, Yamato-san." Hinata smiled. She looked towards the back of the cave where Naruto was sitting. He hadn't said a word since they found shelter and decided to sleep here for the night. He sat there, hunched over, with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Naruto…" Hinata said softly.

"Indeed. It also pains me to see him like this." Yamato said shaking his head sadly. "He is so different from the Naruto I used to know."

"Do you and Naruto know each other?" Hinata asked.

"No. I know him, but he does not know me." Yamato chuckled. He looked at Naruto with a soft expression on his face. "I've known him since he was just a little boy."

"Really?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Yes. The hokage and Naruto, as you should know by now, are very close. Hokage-sama was worried about Naruto's well-being since he didn't have anyone to look after him. So, he chose me to watch over Naruto at all times. I always looked after him whenever he went out, but I stayed hidden. If there's one thing that boy hates, it's that he hates people not respecting his privacy."

"He's like that sometimes." Hinata giggled.

"I watched him grow. I watched day after day as he trained himself. Trained until his hands bled and was soaked in his own sweat. Watched as the villagers beat him sometimes too."

"The villagers beat him!?" Hinata gasped. "Why would they do that? And why didn't you help him?"

"I wonder that myself sometimes." Yamato sighed regretfully. "Maybe if I had been there for him, he wouldn't be like this."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"Hinata, the villagers hate Naruto." Yamato said sadly. "I hated him for a while too. Only after I saw the hardships he went through, did I realize that he was a small boy that needed someone to love him, not the demon everyone thought he was."

"…Demon…?" Hinata whispered in shock. Yamato sighed.

"He hasn't told you anything, has he?" Yamato said quietly. "Surely you know that he is different. Anko has told me all about it."

"Anko-sensei?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes, she and I are good friends. We knew each other since we were kids." Yamato smiled. He frowned a moment later. "It's because of that man, that we even know each other."

"That man? Orochimaru?" Hinata asked astonished.

"Yes." Yamato sighed. "You see, when I was an infant, I was abducted by Orochimaru and experimented on." Hinata gasped. "That man is crazy. I wasn't the only one. There were many others. People, animals, it didn't matter. He experimented on them for his own needs and purposes."

Hinata's mind flashed back to that night where all those children were slaughtered by the cloud ninja. Even Orochimaru experimented on people? What kind of sick people were in this world?

"You see, I have the unique Mokuton abilites." Yamato said. "The same ones the first hokage, Hashirama Senju used. I have the power to control wood. It's all thanks to Orochimaru's experimentation."

"Orochimaru was trying to have you learn the Mokuton technique so he could use it for himself?" Hinata asked.

"Precisely." Yamato nodded. "The testing took many years to complete. I lost my innocence the minute I was taken by Orochimaru. The experiments were painful. Beyond anything you can imagine. They were sickening. I saw so many people, young and old, die in front of me. What made things worse, was that the experimenting took place in Konoha." Hinata's eyes widened. "I became bitter and cold. The amount of pain I had to deal with changed me into a hardened person who longed for the cold embrace of death, just to make it all stop. But then Anko came along."

"How?" Hinata asked.

Yamato smiled grimly. "Because Orochimaru was Anko's sensei."

"Her…Sensei?" Hinata said quietly.

Yamato smiled. "I remember the day Orochimaru brought her into the labs. He was showing her around, she looked terrified. Then again, who wouldn't be? I was wandering around one day when I stumbled upon her. She had gotten lost, so she asked me to help her find Orochimaru. Why I had agreed to help, I do not know, but I'm glad I did. Ever since then I'd bump into her every once in awhile. Sometimes when she was by herself, sometimes when she was with Orochimaru. She eventually started following me around when Orochimaru was busy. Believe it or not, she was actually pretty shy back then. I opened up to her somehow, and we became friends. We stuck together for years, until that one day.

"What happened?" Hinata asked.

"I was about fourteen year old. I was complete. I was supposed to be presented to Orochimaru to show him my powers, but Konoha found his labs." Yamato sighed. "I was left there with a few others. Orochimaru and his crew fled, Anko had gone with him. Konoha ninja appeared in the labs and took us in. Gave us a home in an orphanage. Orochimaru never saw that I had obtained all of the Mokuton's ablilites. I lived and he did not know it. Months passed. Konoha had found Orochimaru again. I went with them, hoping to find Anko. I'll never forget the day I found her again." Yamato clenched his fists. "Anko loved Orochimaru. Loved him like a father. But that bastard left her to die. When we arrived at his new hideout, we found he and his crew had left. But we found one girl locked away in a room. It was Anko. When I found her, she was on the floor crying. Orochimaru had left her there, saying she had been a failure. That she was not worthy of him."

"Failure?" Hinata asked.

"That curse seal. The one that Orochimaru placed on your friend. Anko has the same mark." Hinata gasped. "It's on her neck. That seal makes that person who has it connected to Orochimaru. Hand picked to serve him. Orochimaru has to take control of a new body every so often so he can stay young. Anko was going to be his new body, but she didn't meet his quailfications." Yamato growled angrily. "That bastard had caused her more pain than any type of experimentaion ever could. She became what she is today after that. I became softer, but she hardened and became an assassin. We both want Orochimaru's head for what he did to us. I don't think we'll ever find inner peace unless that man is dead. But then again, Orochimaru isn't exactly the one who did those things to us."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

Yamato opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it. He shook his head. "That is not a story I feel I should tell right now." He turned his head towards Naruto. "I wish I could help him."

"So do I." Hinata said sadly as she looked at him. The two sat in silence for a while. Yamato stood up.

"I'm going to go for a walk." He said making his way out of the cave.

"But it's raining!" Hinata pointed out. Yamato turned and shot a meaningful look.

"Talk to him." Yamato smiled. "He needs you right now." Hinata blushed at this. Yamato stepped out of the cave and disappeared.

Hinata shuffled her feet nervously. She looked at Naruto from across the cave. He hadn't moved. She slowly walked over and sat down next to him. She figeted with her fingers. Naruto didn't budge.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata squeaked. He didn't answer.

"Naruto?"

"…"

"Naruto…"

"…"

"Naruto, please talk to me."

"…"

"Naruto-kun."

"Don't call me that."

"Naruto." Hinata sighed in relief. He turned his head towards her and smiled.

"Something you want to talk to me about?" He asked with a wide grin. Hinata looked at him sadly.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Okay? Yeah. I'm great. Why do you ask?" Naruto smiled.

"Please…don't look at me like that." Hinata said quietly. Naruto looked at her oddly.

"Like what?"

"With that fake smile…tell me what's wrong." Hinata pleaded turning towards him.

"Fake smile? What are you talking about." Naruto smiled. "I'm not-"

"NARUTO, PLEASE!" Hinata screamed. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Don't act like there's nothing wrong with you! I saw what happened to you! I saw it here, in lightning country, and at the bridge in wave! What's happening to you…?"

Naruto was no longer looking at her. His face had gone back to that emotionless mask. Hinata felt like she might burst into tears.

"Don't look like that either." She said quietly.

"Then what should I look like?" Naruto asked. "What do you want me to be?"

"Please talk to me." Hinata said again. It sounded like she was begging.

"About what?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT!" Hinata screamed. Naruto closed his eyes. Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She needed answeres.

"Naruto. What's happening to you?" Hinata asked. "What happened today, in cloud, and in wave?"

Naruto stayed silent for a while. Hinata felt like she might scream again. Couldn't he tell it was killling her to see him like this and not be able to help?

"You've noticed, haven't you?" Naruto said. Hinata looked up at him. "A different chakra. A different chakra is inside my body." Hinata looked at him oddly.

"What?"

"Do you know about the Kyuubi no Yoko?" Naruto asked emotionlessly, not looking at her.

"Yes. That's the nine-tailed fox that the fourth hokage killed many years ago." Hinata said. For some reason, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"No. The fox was not killed." Naruto said quietly. "Demons can't be killed. Whether it be in physical or spiritual form, cannot be killed. The only way to defeat them is to seal them inside a living, breathing human."

"You mean…" Hinata's raised her hands to her mouth in shock.

"It has to be a baby. Someone who's chakra coils have not been developed yet. The Kyuubi was sealed into me at birth. He's the reason I went berserk today as well as those other two times. I used his power for my own selfish reasons."

"That's not true!" Hinata said.

"No. It is. I'm the one that wanted to kill. I'm the one that unleashed his power, knowing full well of the consequences."

"What…consequences?" Hinata asked carefully.

Naruto sighed. "The Kyuubi is taking control of me." Hinata gasped. "You see, there are two forms of change I can go through if I use the Kyuubi's power. Partial Shift is what you saw all those times. My demon gives me some of his power and my features sharpen and I gain unimaginable strength because of it. Using the power comes with a price." Hinata looked at his questioningly. "Every time I go into Partial Shift, one demonic feature stays. Normally it would take four or five Partial shifts to have another change take place, but because of my bloodline, the Kyuubi is able to leak out more of his chakra and change me even more than if he couldn't release chakra at will. He's corrupting my chakra with his own so he can take control of my body and use it for himself."

"What's the other form?" Hinata asked.

"Complete Shift." Naruto answered. "If I go through that, then there's going back. I would turn into the nine-tailed fox. His animal form that almost destroyed our village. Either that, or some miniature form of him. In Complete Shift, he's in control. I know what he's doing, but I'm not in control. It takes place only when Partial shift is used repeatedly or if the demon's influence is too strong. It's the worst." Naruto didn't even bother explaining Bond Shift. As if such a thing could be accomplished…

"Naruto…I had no idea that you contained…" Hinata whispered.

"I was hoping to keep it a secret from you guys because I wanted to stay friends. I value yours and Shikamaru's friendship more than anything. But you found out, I'm the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko. It's why the villagers all hate me. Why I have so little friends. I don't care if you hate me. You have a right too. I'm the container of a monster that caused the deaths of so many. Based on recent events, I'm no better than him."

Naruto's eyes remained closed. She wasn't talking. He didn't care. She hated him. Shikamaru would hate him when he found out too. He was all alone…again…

Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him. Naruto's eyes shot open and he was more shocked than he had ever been in his entire life. Hinata was hugging him…holding his head to her chest…hugging him. Why…she hated him…right? Naruto felt drops of water falling on his head. His eyes widened. Was Hinata…crying…?

"You idiot…" Hinata sobbed as tears streamed down her face. "Don't ever say that. Don't you ever say that I hate you! Don't you ever put those words into my mouth!"

"Hinata…" Naruto said quietly.

"I could never hate you." Hinata wept. "Y-You're my friend, Naruto! I care for you…so much…" Naruto was shocked at what he was hearing. "I've always admired you. You taught me how to be brave, to fight, to persevere. I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. I don't care if you've got a demon sealed inside you, I'll always see you as Naruto Uzumaki, my friends, who I could never hate…never…"

Hinata continued to weep with Naruto still in her arms. She was glad she couldn't see his face, because it was redder than it had ever been. But she meant what she said, and she hoped he thought so too. They sat there in silence for a while. Neither speaking. Hinata was shocked when Naruto broke the silence.

"…Why…?"

Hinata looked down at him with tears still falling from her face. Naruto started to shake in her arms.

"I don't understand…I hurt you…in my anger." Naruto whispered. "I never meant to hurt you, but I did. Why don't you hate me? Why did you get in my way in the first place? The man would be dead now. But you got hurt. What did you get in the way? Why don't you…hate me?"

Fresh tears flowed down Hinata's face. A smile somehow found it's way to her lips. Naruto was crying too.

"I got in the way because that's not you." Hinata said. "You're a kind person. Not someone who like to kill. I hate seeing you like that. It hurts me to see you like that. I got in the way in hopes of having you come to your senses. I wanted the Naruto I knew back…"

Silence settled in again. Hinata listened to Naruto's sobs. He listened to hers. Eventually, the demon container pulled away from her embrace and wiped his tears. He smiled at her. It wasn't fake.

"Thank you, Hinata." Naruto smiled.

"W-What for?" Hinata asked as she wiped away her tears.

"You brought me back. That's why I'm thanking you." Naruto said warmly. "If you hadn't come in there, I don't know what would have happened to me. Thanks for saving me…and thanks for helping me fight back the Kyuubi."

"Anytime." Hinata smiled. She blushed as she realized how close they were together. She should probably give him some space…

She found that she couldn't move. She looked down and found Naruto's hands on her waist.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked looking up.

Naruto looked at her and didn't answer. A weird feeling was developing in the pit of his stomach. This girl had given him the courage to fight back. He felt weird. He unconsciously leaned towards her.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked again as her face heated up. For some reason she also leaned forward. It's like she didn't have any control over her body. She screamed in her mind for this to stop. She had to pull away. But then a single thought passed though her mind.

'_I don't want to.'_

Hinata's eyes closed as did Naruto's. They could feel each other's breath on their faces.

"Hinata…"

"Naruto…"

Their lips met. They were kissing.

Naruto felt weird. This feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced. But he liked it. Felt like he craved it. But in reality, he had no idea what he was doing. Why was he _kissing _Hinata? A girl. His friend.

Friend…

Was she more to him than that? Naruto couldn't really determine that as he couldn't really think straight at the moment. His mind was all scrambled and his stomach felt like it was doing flips and flops inside his body. But he didn't deny that what he was doing felt good. One of his hand trailed up from her waist and to the small of her back. He pressed Hinata up against him, deepening the kiss. Hinata's hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She moaned quietly and Naruto felt like an electric shock fried all his systems. He only felt Hinata's lips against his. It felt really good…

"What do we have here?" Came a chuckling voice.

Naruto and Hinata sprang away from each other like they had just been electrocuted. The blond glared at the chuckling Yamato.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Yamato smiled as he took a blanket out from his carrier scroll. "Just came back to get some sleep."

"Great." Naruto mumbled. He scratched the back of his head. His head felt weird. He shot a side glance at Hinata. Her cheeks were rosy and she had a smile, contented smile on her face. Her hand touched her lips. Naruto sighed and shook his head. He really did feel weird.

"You two should really get some sleep." Yamato smiled pulling out some blankets for the two teenagers. "You've had a long day."

"Yeah." Naruto mumbled as he took a blanket from the ANBU. Hinata took the remaining one.

He felt really weird. His body felt weak. Part of him wanted to sleep, another wanted to go back to what he and Hinata were doing before Yamato ruined the moment. Naruto shook his head. No. He needed to get some sleep. They needed to find the others tomorrow. He hoped they were alright. He groaned as his thoughts returned to the Hyuuga heiress.

"That was a good kiss." Naruto mumbled to himself before falling asleep.

X.X.X

Neji felt himself being shook. His eyes fluttered open and he sat up. He found out Lee was the one who had woken him up.

"Lee? Ugh…what time is it?" Neji asked, rubbing his eyes.

"We've got company." Lee whispered. Neji's eyes narrowed. He was wide awake now.

"Where?"

"I don't know." Lee replied. "I'll wake the others. You try to see if you can spot them."

Neji activated his Byakugan. His lavender whites darted in all directions, trying to find their new guests. He smirked as he spotted them.

"In the bushes." Neji whispered to Lee who was waking up Tenten and Sakura. "I'm going out to welcome them."

"Be careful, Neji." Lee whispered.

Neji stepped out of their shelter. Rays of sunlight made their way through the trees and illuminated the area around him. He took a quick look around and sighed.

"We know you're there, so come on out." Neji called. No movement. He sighed and threw a kunai into the bushes. Three silhouettes jumped out of the bushes and landed a few feet away from him. Sound ninja.

"What business do you have with us?" Neji asked.

"Hm. I didn't think that there was a Byakugan user with them." A boy with bandages all over his face said thoughtfully.

"Doesn't matter." Said the only girl in their group.

"Hey you! Hyuuga!" A boy with spiky hair called. "Bring out Uchiha! We want to have a word with him!"

Neji glared at them and took a fighting stance. "No, I am your opponent for now."

"Don't take my fights, Hyuuga."

Neji turned to see Sasuke walking out from the tree. He took a fighting stance next to the Hyuuga.

"Ah, Sasuke. We-"

"We'll all fight you." Haku said also stepping out from the tree. The rest of the genin followed her.

"Hmph. The numbers are against us." The sound girl growled.

"Mayber," Began the bandaged boy. "But we can-"

"GATSUGA!"

A spinning gray tornado suddenly came down from out of nowhere and hit the three sound nin. Kiba hopped back to the rest of the genin. Ino and Chouji appeared next to him.

"You dudes didn't think you could start the party without us, did you?" Kiba smirked as he crouched down on all fours. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Let's kick their butts." Ino smiled, slamming her fist into her palm.

"And maybe find some food after we're done?" Chouji asked hopefully.

"This doesn't look good." The spiky haired boy said uneasily.

"No worries." The bandaged boy chuckled, picking himself up off the ground. He raised his arm. "We've got our advantage right here." His arm had some silver armor with holes on it.

"What's that thing?" Tenten asked. It wasn't like a weapon she had ever seen. And she should know, she was a weapons specialist.

"This," The bandaged boy smiled, "Is your defeat." He flicked the weapon and everyone but the sound ninja fell to the ground, clutching their ears in pain. Tenten screamed.

X.X.X

Hinata's eyes shot open. She had heard a scream. She looked at Naruto, who was sleeping not too far from her.

Images from last night flashed through her mind, making her blush. She touched her fingers to her lips. She shook her head and focused. She was sure that was Tenten's voice.

"Naruto! Wake up!" Hinata said, shaking the boy. He yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Yamato also awoke. He looked at Hinata questioningly.

"What's the matter, Hinata?" Yamato asked.

"I just heard a scream." Hinata said worriedly. "I think it was Tenten. If she's screaming, then our friends our probably in trouble."

Yamato's eyes narrowed. "I agree. We should get there as fast as we can. Naruto, we should-"

The ANBU paused. The boy's face had changed to that emotionless mask from the night before. Yamato looked at him worriedly.

"Naruto?" Yamato asked.

The boy stood up, not speaking. He shot out of the cave in the direction of the scream.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed, trying to call him back. It was no use. He was already gone. He hadn't changed in Partial Shift, but the bloodlust was there. It was almost as strong as last night. She glanced at Yamato. He nodded. They took off after Naruto.

X.X.X

Haku struggled to regain her senses. This level of sound was somehow interfering with her systems. She couldn't see clearly, or stand up. She looked at everyone else and found that they weren't doing any better. Even Azrael was somehow pained by the sound. Or maybe just the inability to move affected him, not the sound.

"Alright guys, take Sasuke and kill the rest." The bandaged face boy commanded.

"Right." His teammates nodded. The sound went away, but the effects on the genin before them remained.

"This was easier than I thought." Spiky haired boy said. "I thought that they would put up more of a fight than not-"

"H-Hey! I can't move!" The girl said astonished.

"Neither can I!" The spiky haired boy said. The bandaged boy tried to move. He couldn't either.

"An annoying screeching noise is not something a guy like to wake up to in the morning."

Haku looked up. Even though her sense of vision was wacky she could clearly see that Shikamaru was standing there. His shadow was extended towards the sounded ninja.

"Shikamaru…" Haku muttered.

"You guys recover, then kick their asses." Shikamaru stated. Haku squinted her eyes at him. It looked like something black was starting to crawl all over his arm.

"You think this shadow can stop us?" The bandaged boy yelled. "We can easily-"

He stopped. A sickening sound was heard. The sound of something cutting into someone's flesh.

The boy looked down. A clawed hand was sticking out of his stomach. Naruto withdrew his hand from the boy's stomach. He kicked his body to the ground. He looked at the other two other sound nin, who looked terrified. Shikamaru's shadow retreated. He stared at his friend.

"Naruto? Is that you?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto looked at him. A black mark was spreading over the boy's skin. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru's seal…

Naruto shot forward with his Chakra Claws extended. His claws tore through the two remaining sound ninjas' torsos. Blood gushed from their wounds and they fell to the ground, dead. Naruto looked at their dead bodies. He bent down and plucked out the heaven scroll that stuck out of the spiky haired boy's pocket. Naruto didn't even notice everyone else get up and stare at him in shock. He turned towards them. Everyone took a step back.

"NARUTO! STOP IT!" Hinata screamed as she burst out of the foliage and wrapped her arms around him. She sobbed into his back. "Not again…please…"

Naruto regained his senses. He looked down at his bloodied hands as his claws disappeared. He looked at everyone's shocked faces.

"I…" Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. Nobody moved.

"Geez, what happened to you while I was out?" Shikamaru sighed as he walked towards his friend. The black mark started to retreat. "It happened again, didn't it?"

"What?" Naruto asked looking up at the Nara.

"Hinata told me about it. Did you go crazy again?" Shikamaru asked.

"…Yeah…" Naruto mumbled ashamedly. Shikamaru sighed.

"How troublesome."

"That's all you can say?!" Neji roared, taking a step forward. "What do you mean by going crazy again? I want real answers!"

"Neji, wait!" Haku said stepping forward. "He's just-"

"Drop it, Haku." Naruto sighed. She turned towards him.

"Naruto?"

"There's no hiding it. I might as well confess." Naruto said quietly. "You should too."

"What are you guys talking about?" Tenten asked arching an eyebrow.

"I'm the container of the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko." Naruto said. He said it that simply. Everyone stared at him.

"And I'm the container of the three-tailed turtle, the Sanbi no Isonade." Haku confessed. Everyone stared at her. Then back to Naruto. Hinata hugged Naruto more tightly. Azrael and Saki stepped in front of Haku.

"Heh heh. That's a good one guys." Kiba laughed weakly. "Everyone knows the Kyuubi is dead. And what the heck is a Sanbi? Right! Ha ha ha aha…right…?" No one laughed with him.

"Demons can't be killed." Naruto said. "They have to be sealed inside humans. Haku and I are just lucky enough to be two out of nine people who have demons living inside them."

"Then everything makes sense." Neji growled. "Everything. Your immense strength, you going crazy, and why Orochimaru called you what he did. You're the Kyuubi no Yoko."

"No, he's not Neji." Hinata said firmly.

"Hinata? How did you get that injury?" Neji demanded as he looked at the bandage around her shoulder. It was a bit red.

"The wound opened up again." Hinata muttered to herself. "It's nothing, I just-"

"I did it." Naruto replied tonelessly.

"Naruto!" Hinata gasped.

"Uzumaki!" Neji yelled, completely losing it. He dashed forward and punched the blond across the face. "How could you do that to my cousin?!"

"I didn't mean to." Naruto mumbled.

"To think I trusted you." Neji hissed. "To think that I considered you a friend." Naruto winced.

Neji was suddenly punched across the face. The Hyuuga staggered back in shock and looked around to see who hit him. He was shocked to see Shikamaru standing in front of Naruto, rubbing his fist.

"Don't ever talk to him like that, Hyuuga." Shikamaru snapped. "He's not the Kyuubi. Doesn't this just explain why he's so messed up? We should be happy we know the truth."

"Gee, thanks." Naruto grumbled sarcastically.

"No problem, pal." Shikamaru smirked.

"I can no longer trust you, Uzumaki." Neji said shaking his head. "I thought I could, but I can't. You hurt my cousin, and you're a demon. I'm sorry." His eyes turned to Hinata, who still clung to the demon container's back. "Hinata, get away from him." The girl didn't budge. Neji sighed. He turned back to Naruto. "You hurt her again, you'll be sorry." Neji turned and started walking away. His team glanced at Naruto and followed Neji. The other teams followed in suit. Everyone was silent.

"We should get to the tower." Shikamaru stated. He held his hand out towards Naruto.

"You don't hate me?" Naruto asked looking up at the boy.

"Don't say such troublesome things." Shikamaru sighed. "You really are a pain."

Naruto smiled. So the old man was right. He remembered the talk he had with Sarutobi about if Shikamaru ever found out he was the Kyuubi container. He was right, Shikamaru didn't care.

"Hey, Hinata." Shikamaru said looking over Naruto's shoulder. "You can stop hugging him now."

The Hyuuga heiress blushed and let go of her teammate. She and Naruto got up. The blond smiled at the shadow manipulator.

"Thanks." Naruto said.

"Whatever." Shikamaru dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He squinted his eyes at Naruto. "Hey, did your whisker marks get bigger?"

Naruto's hand shot up to his face. He could always feel the small imprints on his face. He ran his fingers over them. Yes, they had gotten bigger. They probably looked exactly like they did when he went into Partial Shift. He sighed.

"I guess two changes took place." Naruto sighed.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked. Naruto opened his mouth and pointed to his teeth. His incisors were razor sharp.

"I noticed this last night." Naruto said. "I was hoping that was the only change."

"It's not that noticeable." Shikamaru assured him. "You've got nothing to worry about. Let's get going. The others are going to leave us behind."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah…" They followed after everyone else. In two days, Naruto had effectively lost everyone's friendship and trust. He was grateful to Shikamaru and Hinata. At least they stuck with him. Haku smiled at him. He smiled slightly. Looks like she and her team were on his side too. That was good. He looked around. Where was Yamato?

"Hey! Who the hell are you?"

Naruto lifted his head at Kiba's demanding voice. He pushed through everyone to see who the dog nin was talking to. Naruto came face to face with a smiling, glasses wearing Konoha genin. He adjusted his glasses and smiled at the group.

"Hi there." He chirped. "My name's Kabuto. I was wondering if you could help me find my way to the tower. You see I have both scrolls right here, and I'm supposed to meet my team there so…"

Naruto arched an eyebrow at him. This kid sure was friendly…and stupid…

X.X.X

A/N: Okay. I guess it was fine. Some parts may have been a little shabby. Was everyone okay with this chapter? I need to know.

Yes, I finally put an actual romance scene in this fic and it's about time I did. Hinata finally had a talk with Naruto about his demon problem and she still care for him (duh) and Shikamaru, being the lazy but friendly bastard he is, couldn't care less about whether or not Naruto is a demon container. Happy days…

Anywho, everyone is pretty much against him now, which sucks. Just a little heads up, Yamato didn't disappear into thin air, he will appear next chapter. All secrets have been revealed. The demon containers, Anko's and Yamato's relationship with Orochimaru, everything. Don't worry, I've still got plenty of stuff up my sleeves, and I plan to include it all in upcoming chapters. Hope you guys stay interested.

Please review. I really want to know what you guys thought of this chapter. (Or I'll break everything you own)

Kiiam


	13. Always leaves a mark

Naruto walked with his teammates, Hinata to on his right side, Shikamaru on the left

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I'm finally done with summer classes. Did I mention I had those? And I realize it's the end of July. Well, I'm glad I got this chapter done. It turned out longer than I thought it would be. Screw it, people like long chapters anyway, right? Enjoy.

**Chapter 13**

Naruto walked with his teammates, Hinata to on his right side, Shikamaru on his left. The group was almost to the tower now, and none of the cells were worried about getting attacked. No sane person would dare attack five teams at once. They all had the scrolls they needed, the worst was over, and everyone was chatting amiably. Though there was just one thing that pissed Naruto off.

Everyone was avoiding and trying to keep away from him.

No, they seriously were. Ever since that incident in the forest where everyone had witnessed him tear apart those sound nin, everyone but his teammates avoided him like a plague. Every time he picked up the pace to catch up, so would the teams in front of him so they could get away. Even Haku's team didn't even seem to want to get close to him. Haku, however, was also being shunned because she was also a demon container. Though she sympathized with the nine-tailed fox container, she and her team were quite a distance behind them.

Naruto regretted what had taken place only a few hours ago. He had seen the look of fear on their faces. His former friends not only feared him, but they also didn't trust him. Every once in a while Neji would look back at the blond and glare at him. Naruto would just glare right back. He used to be one of the only people that Neji would trust. Now the Hyuuga's gaze was no different than the one all the villagers gave him. Same with the rest of the kids. They all hated him.

Then again, Naruto couldn't really blame everyone for hating him. He had kept it all a secret for such a long time, and they all found out in the worst way possible. In the last few hours, Naruto kept on asking himself if it had been better to tell everyone beforehand, or if things were better off this way. Would they still be afraid of him if he had told them before all of this happened? He wasn't quite sure, but Naruto couldn't help but feel that things could have been different if he had told everyone earlier.

Though he was depressed at losing most of his friends, Naruto was grateful not to lose his closest. Hinata stayed with him, and Shikamaru didn't seem to care. Naruto smiled inside. Guess the old man had been right. He once told him that Shikamaru wouldn't care if he was demon or not. Shikamaru valued their friendship just as much as Naruto himself did. Naruto was glad that Hinata and Shikamaru's view of him had not changed despite everything. For that, he was grateful to them.

Naruto glanced at Shikamaru. He clearly remembered what had happened the other day. Orochimaru had done something to him. From what the Kyuubi told him, the snake had infected the Nara with some sort of curse seal that was meant for the Uchiha. It seemed like that seal had caused Shikamaru a lot of pain, but he showed no signs of discomfort ever since he had woken up. Naruto hadn't actually seen the curse mark, but he did remember curious black markings that were crawling over the shadow manipulator's skin when he was fighting those sound nin. Naruto didn't ask about it, but he would…eventually.

A soft groan came from his right. Naruto turned to see Hinata lightly gripping her shoulder. He could see red blotches from under the bandage.

"You okay?" Naruto asked.

"Y-Yeah." Hinata nodded smiling at him. Naruto frowned. That fake smile didn't make him stop worrying.

"Don't worry, we're almost to the tower." Shikamaru said. "We can get someone to patch up the wound there."

"It's fine." Hinata smiled taking her hand off her shoulder. "You guys can't be worrying about me all the time, right? I can take care of myself just fine."

Naruto felt guilt bubble up in his stomach. He reminded himself that he was the one who had done this to her. In his rage and because of his lack of self-control, he had hurt Hinata. The demon container looked at his hands. He could still see the blood stains on his hands. The rain washed most of it away, but it was still there.

His thoughts floated to the Kyuubi. During Partial shift, there were intervals where he could feel that it was the Kyuubi controlling how his body moved. It only lasted a second or two, but each time he took control it lasted slightly longer than the last. He knew the Kyuubi was gaining more control which made Naruto think.

What would one more Partial Shift do to him?

His face already looked like a demon. Sharp teeth, bigger whisker marks, slitted, needle-like pupils. All these sharp facial features made him look like a demon. The only thing missing was a real whiskers and pointed ears. Maybe even a muzzle or fur. Anything could happen to him now. Based on how quickly his features were changing, it seemed like the Kyuubi could push him into Complete Shift the next time he went berserk. He'd be able to leak out all of his chakra if that happened…then he'd take over Naruto's body.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. His face was still calm. He looked at Hinata. He frowned when the girl winced and returned her hand to her shoulder. Naruto vowed never to let his emotions go astray again. He'd have to find a way to prevent the Kyuubi from leaking out any more of his chakra, lest he hurt someone again.

"You okay, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just dandy, Shikamaru." Naruto sighed. "You should just how happy I am right now."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Don't get so worked up. It just came out a little shocking to everyone. They know you're not that dangerous."

"I tore through a guy's stomach and ripped apart his two teammates right before their eyes." Naruto said darkly.

"Well…when you say it like that it does sound very extreme." Shikamaru said. He shrugged. "Eh, it's not like you didn't have social problems before."

"Shut up."

"Shikamaru, now is not the time to tease Naruto." Hinata said solemnly. "Naruto is having a very big problem right now and he doesn't need to be made fun of."

"Hinata, he had problems long before we ever met him." Shikamaru sighed. He looked at Naruto intently. "What do you intend to do about this?"

"What can I do?" Naruto said looking down. "I can't really expect anyone to want to be near me after what happened."

"We're close to you." Hinata reminded him shyly.

"That's different." Naruto said. "You guys are my teammates. My best friends. The old man once said if Shikamaru found I was the container of a demon he wouldn't think any different about me. Same with you, Hinata. I'm glad he was right though." Naruto smiled at them both.

"I'd never think any different of you." Hinata asserted, twiddling her fingers together nervously.

"I should know that much from last night." Naruto said slyly causing Hinata to blush redder than a tomato. Shikamaru arched an eyebrow at them, oblivious to whatever they were talking about.

"But everyone else is different." Naruto said seriously. "They don't know me as well as you two do. They don't exactly trust me like you guys do. Hell, I scared them all to death. Weren't you guys surprised and scared when I…killed those other ninja?"

"I would be lying if I said that didn't affect me." Shikamaru admitted.

"It's bad enough they witnessed a murder, and even worse that I wasn't exactly myself when they saw it." Naruto said folding his arms. "They've all seen what kind of monster I can become. It's only natural that people shun what they don't understand or what they think is too great of a threat. I just showed everyone just how threatening I can be."

"Hey guys! I can see the tower!" Kiba shouted up ahead.

"It's about time." Shikamaru yawned. "I could really use a nap."

"Same here." Naruto said, also feeling drowsy.

"You probably won't get any time to rest. There are too many people."

The trio gasped. They turned to see Kabuto, smiling of course, standing right behind them.

"W-What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"No doubt there will a preliminary of some kind to knock off some of the genin so they can narrow it down for the next part of the exam." Kabuto said, pushing his glasses up a bit.

"Quite the nerd, ain't ya four-eyes?" Naruto smirked.

"I get that a lot." Kabuto smiled. He jogged back to the group and started to talk with Sasuke.

"What do you think of him?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hm?" Hinata looked at Shikamaru questioningly.

"I don't like him." Naruto said narrowing his eyes. "Gives off a bad vibe."

"Yeah, I got the same feeling." Shikamaru said seriously. "He seems a little too friendly."

"The way he presented himself when he showed up isn't something a sane guy would do." Naruto added. "Especially with the number of people in our group." Shikamru nodded in agreement.

"C-Come on you two." Hinata smiled. "He may seem a bit…off…but I'm sure he's okay. He showed us the way to the tower, didn't he?"

A series of barks came from in front of them. The trio looked ahead to see Akamaru biting and tugging on one of Kabuto's pant legs. The older ninja was trying to shake the puppy off with Kiba tugging on the little hound in a attempt to pull the mutt away. They eventually succeeded after a few soothing words from Kiba. Akamaru still growled and the gray-haired ninja.

"I'm going to go see what that was all about." Shikamaru said. He strode over to the dog ninja.

"I wonder what's wrong with Akamaru." Hinata said in a puzzled manner. "It's not like Akamaru to act hostile towards a stranger unless he's an enemy." Hinata's eyes widened. She turned to Naruto. "You don't think…"

"I thought of it the minute he showed up." Naruto growled. Shikamaru back peddled to his teammates.

"Well?" Hinata asked.

"Kiba told me there was nothing to worry about." Shikamaru shrugged. His face turned serious. "Though he said something about that kid smelling like a snake." Hinata gasped while Naruto nodded.

"The mutt is smarter than the master." Naruto said shaking his head. "That's just sad."

"What should we do?" Hinata asked.

"Nobody else suspects a thing." Shikamaru said. "Someone needs to talk to him." He turned towards Naruto. "I guess you'll be doing the talking then?"

"Naturally." Naruto said, a small smile playing on his lips. "You two go on ahead. I've got some questions for him."

"Be careful." Shikamaru said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Remember that the snake disguised himself as a grass nin. It could be Orochimaru."

"Please. With the beating I gave him, that bastard won't be able to walk for a month." Naruto smirked, remembering the snake nin's bleeding face. "I'm talking to a subordinate. I've got nothing to worry about."

"Alright." Shikamaru and Hinata made their way over to the rest. They all seemed to welcome the two, but cast cold glances at Naruto. The demon container sighed.

"Hey, nerd!" Naruto called. Kabuto turned. "C'mere for a second!"

Kabuto excused himself from the group and casually walked over to Naruto. He looked down at the smaller boy. "I don't appreciate being called a nerd." Kabuto smiled, though his tone was threatening.

"I don't take orders from someone who works for the snake." Naruto growled. Kabuto's eyes widened. "You're one of his, aren't you?"

Kabuto shifted nervously as they walked. He sighed, knowing full well he had been found out. "Yes…" Naruto noticed his hand inching towards his back pocket.

"Don't make a scene here." Naruto cautioned. Kabuto stiffened. "They all may be against me, but they won't have a problem eliminating an enemy. Plus, you forget who you're standing next to."

"You're the Kyuubi boy, aren't you?" Kabuto said quietly.

"You're the nerd here, I would have thought you had done some research." Naruto smirked. Kabuto avoided eye contact with the boy.

"You're scared?" Naruto asked in slight surprise.

"I know what you did to Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said. "I also saw what you did to our team."

"You were there? You should be ashamed for not helping your own cronies." Naruto said mockingly. Naruto turned serious. "Alright, four-eyes. I've got some questions for ya, and you're gonna answer them. If you don't, I'm going crack open your skull and see if I can get any information myself."

"I'll answer what I can." Kabuto said nervously, not wanting to anger the boy.

"First of all, that mark." Naruto said pointing at Shikamaru's back. "Orochimaru did something to him. I saw it. What is that thing?"

"Well, as you may know, that mark was supposed to be placed on the Uchiha." Kabuto said, pushing his glasses up. "I'm amazed that your friend survived. Not many have, and he doesn't exactly seem like the person that would…" He paused when Naruto glared at him. "A-Anyway, it's a curse seal that enhances the user's abilities. But at a price."

"What price?"

"It feeds off chakra. Plus, the effects can be…harmful." Kabuto said thoughtfully.

"Explain."

"There are two levels of the curse mark." Kabuto explained. "The first is when the mark covers the body entirely. The marks spread all over. The user's strength increases dramatically, but stamina used up more quickly. The second form is much different." Kabuto scratched the back of his neck in anxiety. "The user becomes even more powerful, but physical changes manifest. The mark spreads and darkens the skin. Also, inhuman features like claws, sharp teeth, and even horns start to appear. The second form features are different from person to person."

"That sounds lovely." Naruto said sarcastically. "Can we get rid of it?"

Kabuto let out a shaky sigh. "No. But you can control the seal. If properly trained, the user can learn to call upon the seal's powers at will. But there is something I should tell you."

"What's that?" Naruto asked.

"Never stay in the transformed state for long periods of time." Kabuto warned. "If the person does, the body's cells will slowly start to die, and the seal takes energy until it's sucking away at the muscles for energy. This only happens when the person is in the second form though. With the first, there are no side effects except for the loss of energy after the seal is deactivated."

"Anything else?"

"The seal will evolve over time." Kabuto said. "In a way, it has an entity of it's own. Do not seal it up or the user may die. The curse seal is very unstable. The amount of people that have been killed by it is proof of that."

"I see." Naruto nodded. "Why did Orochimaru want to infect Sasuke with the mark in the first place?"

"The seal has other effects, even when it isn't being used." Kabuto said solemnly. "If the person is alive after the seal has been planted, it calls the user to Orochimaru." Naruto's eyes widened. "It's like a stamp of approval from Orochimaru. The seal means that he has picked you to be his follower, to serve him. It works almost like hypnosis. No one has resisted the seal's call for very long. They all come…eventually."

"Is there any way to stop the seal's calling?" Naruto asked quickly.

"I don't know." Kabuto admitted nervously. "He could try to resist the seal himself…but I don't think it will work. I honestly don't know much about the seal. It's his choice, really."

"Great." Naruto growled. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth together. He looked at Shikamaru who was talking with Hinata. The heiress was laughing at his gloomy attitude. "He hasn't shown any sign that the seal is affecting him. Why?"

"I'm not sure myself." Kabuto said narrowing his eyes at the Nara. "Are you going to ask about it?"

"When it becomes a problem, I will." Naruto said quietly. He looked at Kabuto. "I've got just one last question for you. We're almost to the tower, so I'll make it short, sweet, and to the point."

"Go ahead." Kabuto smiled.

"Who do you work for? Orochimaru…or the demon?" Naruto asked.

Kabuto frowned and looked away. He had a grave expression on his face. Naruto didn't like it.

"I work for the eight-tailed snake demon, Hachibi no Hachimata." Kabuto said. He looked at Naruto straight in the eye. "No one else."

'_So the Kyuubi was right…the Hachibi really is in control…' _Naruto thought.

"Is that all your questions?" Kabuto asked.

"Yeah, but I got a message for you. Give it to the snake next time you see him." Naruto said. Kabuto nodded. "Tell the Hachibi that if he ever harms any of my friends again, I'll kill him. No. Tell him I'm going to kill him anyway." Naruto took on a dark expression. "Just if he hurts my friends in any way, shape, or form again…I'll hurt him more than the Kyuubi ever could. I'll make him fear me more than the Kyuubi. He can count on that."

"Kabuto." The duo turned to see a man with dark glasses standing by a tree. Another man with grey hair was also standing there. No doubt they were Kabuto's teammates.

"Let's go." The gray-haired one said. Kabuto nodded and made his way towards his teammates.

"Don't forget my message, nerd." Naruto said. The demon container rejoined his teammates. They were in front of the tower entrance now.

"Where did everyone go?" Naruto asked as he looked around. None of the other cells were in sight.

"They all went through other doors." Shikamaru said. "They were labeled. Ours was A3."

"We've got designated doors?" Naruto asked.

"It was in the paperwork you made me do." Shikamaru sighed. He looked at Naruto sternly. "What did he say?"

"He was one of the Hachibi- I mean, Orochimaru's subordinates." Naruto said. "I just gave him a little message to pass on."

"Do you think it was a good idea to let him go?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hey, if he becomes a problem I'll just snap his neck. No questions asked." Naruto said casually. Shikamaru and Hinata looked at each other nervously.

"Naruto."

The blond turned to see Haku standing behind him with her team. Oh right, they were behind them this whole time. He had forgotten.

"I need to talk with you." Haku said. She motioned for him to follow her. Naruto nodded. He followed her, leaving his teammates with Azrael and Saki.

"I saw you talking with Kabuto." She said after she was sure the others couldn't hear her. "What did he say about the Hachibi?"

"The Hachibi is in complete control of Orochimaru's body." Naruto sighed. Haku grimaced. "But the Kyuubi told me that Orochimaru is still in there, preventing the Hachibi from completely devouring his soul. Orochimaru is still conscious, but he has no control over what he's doing. Since the host still exists, the Hachibi isn't able to bring out his full power. He's limited to what humans can use."

"That's good to hear." Haku said. She opened her mouth, but then closed it.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Are you…okay?" Haku asked shyly.

"If this is about my shifting, then you can put a lid on it." Naruto replied rather harshly. Haku winced. Naruto sighed. "Sorry. I've just been through a lot since yesterday."

"I know." Haku said looking at him sympathetically. "He's really pushing, isn't he?"

"More than you know." Naruto groaned. "I feel terrible and my head feels like it's going to split open. I'm slowly losing my grip on sanity. I think next time I go into Partial Shift, it's gonna be the end of me."

"So you're giving up then?" Haku questioned.

"No!" Naruto replied quickly. Haku shook her head.

"You must remember, Uzumaki, that he's not the one in control of your body or your mind. It's up to you whether you should fight or not." Haku smiled at him. "You're changing. You're not the sarcastic, smirking teen I met that day in the forest."

"I know." Naruto sighed.

"Don't worry. If you ever need help, just give me a call. We're both containers. We should stick together." Haku flashed him a smile and walked away. Her teammates followed. Naruto walked back over to his own team.

"What did she say?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just a little demon container to demon container chat." Naruto shrugged. "Did the kids say anything interesting to you?"

"Saki bandaged my wound." Hinata smiled. "She said it could open up again if under strain. She didn't have time to properly fix it."

"She also asked me some questions." Shikamaru yawned. "None of which were important." He opened the doors. "Let's go." He quickly strode in.

"What's with him?" Naruto asked, thought he had a fare idea about what was up.

"Don't mention it." Hinata said. "He'll tell us when he needs to." They both made their way inside the tower.

"The inside was nothing special. Just an empty room bar a large scroll on the wall. Shikamaru walked up and inspected the piece of paper.

"Anything interesting?" Naruto asked.

"No. Just some riddle." Shikamaru replied. "Just open the scrolls."

Naruto took the earth scroll out of his pocket while Shikamaru took the heaven scroll out of his. They threw them on the ground and smoke started to rise from the pieces of paper.

"A summoning scroll?" Hinata questioned, tilting her head to the side in mild curiosity.

"Seems like it." Shikamaru said. The smoke all whirled together creating a thick could. Eventually, it all cleared and in its place was Anko with a smiling Anna in her arms.

"What's up kiddies?" Anko greeted.

"Anko-sensei!" Hinata beamed.

"Man, it looks like you guys have been through some pretty tough shit." Anko said overlooking her students. "Your clothes are torn, your hair's messed up, and you've got tons of bruises, gashes, and scratches all over your body."

"This test sucks." Shikamaru grumbled.

"I can see why you think that." Anko smiled. She frowned and sidestepped. A bunch of chakra bullets impacted where she was standing moments before.

"What was that for, brat?" Anko asked.

"Some friends of yours told me you took Anna to a bar. Is that true?" Naruto asked pleasantly. His tone frightened his teammates. They took a few steps back.

"Yeah." Anko said twisted her pinky inside her ear. "What of it?"

A series of explosions and bangs could be heard outside the room a few seconds later.

X.X.X

Naruto, with Anna clapping in his arms, and his team walked down the hallway. Anko had a smile on her face and Naruto had a foot mark on his. Naruto grumbled.

"You're still too weak to beat me, brat." Anko smiled. "You did give me a nice workout though."

"I'm never letting you take care of her again." Naruto growled. Anna laughed in his arms.

"Where are we going Anko-sensei?" Hinata asked.

"We got reports about what happened in the forest." Anko said. Her expression was grave. She opened a large door and pushed her students inside. Team eight found themselves in front of the hokage and a ANBU with a tiger mask. The ANBU removed the mask from his face.

"Yamato!" Hinata said. The ANBU smiled.

"So this is where you went." Naruto said.

"I had to report everything that happened to the hokage." Yamato said. "He needed to know."

"What?" Shikamaru said, completely lost and oblivious to what was going on.

"You were out cold, remember." Naruto said.

"Everything happens when I'm asleep." Shikamaru grumbled.

"How's it going, old man?" Naruto smiled.

"It's going very well, Naruto." The hokage smiled. "How was the second exam?"

"It sucked." Naruto stated. "Can we go now?"

"Shikamaru, let me see your arm." The hokage said seriously, completely ignoring Naruto for the moment.

"What?" Shikamaru said cautiously.

"Let me see your arm, please." Sarutobi asked again.

"Yeah…I don't think so."

The Nara was suddenly hoisted up in the air by the back of his shirt. Yamato held him up while Anko rolled up his sleeve. Shikamaru grimaced as her fingers grazed over the curse mark. It was shown to the hokage.

"I was worried something like this would happen with Orochimaru being here." The old man sighed. "We'll have to seal it up."

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked. He glared at the old man.

"That seal is dangerous. It must be sealed or it could hurt Shikamaru." Sarutobi said softly.

"You're not sealing that thing." Naruto replied matter-of-factly.

"Why is that?" The hokage asked.

"If you do, he could die." Naruto growled. Shikamaru's eyes widened in fear.

"How do you know this?" Sarutobi asked.

"A friend of Orochimaru's told me." Naruto replied. "We're not going to risk it."

"Naruto, he'll be fine." Anko scoffed. "I got my curse mark sealed, see?"

Naruto's eyes widened. On her neck was a mark that looked like a circle of rain drops. There was a marking around it.

"Mine was sealed, and nothing happened to me." Anko said.

"N-No! We can't risk the chance of him dying!" Naruto said in a shaky voice.

"Naruto, we-" The hokage tried.

"I SAID NO!" Naruto yelled desperately. Shikamaru nodded dumbly in agreement. Hinata looked from Shikamaru to the hokage while Anko and Yamato looked at Naruto in sympathy. Anna looked at her father with wide eyes, wondering why he was shouting.

"Daddy?" Anna questioned. She lifted her small hand towards his face and caressed his cheek.

Naruto's expression softened. He took a deep breath. "Don't seal it…"

The hokage sighed. He smiled at Naruto. "Anko, show them their quarters. We won't seal the mark."

"Hokage-sama. Are you sure?" Yamato asked.

"He can learn to control it. It looks like he's had a grip on seal for some time now. Isn't that right, Shikamaru."

"Yes." Shikamaru nodded.

"Alright kids, follow me." Anko smiled.

"Thanks old man." Naruto smiled.

"No problem." The hokage smiled. He bid the team farewell.

"What did he mean when he said show us to our quarters?" Hinata asked.

"We've still got to wait for the other teams to arrive." Anko laughed. "You guys completed the test in a day and a half. We've still got a day and a half more to go before we can start the third exam."

X.X.X

The third exam came a day and a half later. Nothing of importance happened during this time period. Occasionally Naruto would bump into one of his former friends. They were still cold towards him, which made him feel depressed. He understood why they acted that way though. Naruto and his team told the Hokage, Anko, and Yamato about everything. Naruto left out his conversation with the Kyuubi for personal reasons though. He also conveniently left out the parts mentioning the Hachibi. Anko and Yamato also explained to the trio about their relationship with Orochimaru and how they knew each other. This came as a shock for Naruto and Shikamaru but Hinata told them Yamato had already told her. The boys were surprised, but they both concluded this explained why Anko was so messed up. They received bops on the head for that. Yamato also told Naruto about his watching over the boy since he was young. Naruto ranted to the hokage about it, but he didn't really mind it that much. Yamato was a nice guy…but he still wish he could've helped him in his younger days.

What happened was in the past now, what mattered was the present. The third exam was about to commence.

All the teams stood in vertical rows. Naruto stood behind Shikamaru and in front of Hinata. In all, nine teams had come to the tower. Naruto took a look at the competition. A team from rain and a team from grass came on the second day. Gaara's team, as he had learned shortly after his team arrived, had gotten to the tower first. Naruto was shocked to find Gaara staring right at him. Naruto glared at the Shukaku demon container. Gaara's gaze eventually shifted to another. Haku. She also glared at the boy.

The trio of demon container stared each other down. Gaara's gaze shifted from Naruto to Haku. He regarded them with hostile eyes. He looked ready to kill. It sent a shiver down Naruto's spine. He was silently grateful when the hokage spoke up.

"Hello young genin." The hokage beamed. "Welcome to the third exam. I'm glad you all made it here."

Naruto blocked out the rest of the upcoming speech. Anna squirmed in his arms. Kurenai, the head of the second exam, was nice enough to let him bring her along after some persuading from Anko. Naruto decided to entertain himself with his daughter.

"I don't see why he does this." Naruto whispered to her. "I'll bet half of these people don't even listen to him." Anna blinked curiously at him. She broke out into a smile.

"Daddy!" She reached her hands towards his face.

"You always give such satisfied answers, don't you?" Naruto sighed. Anna laughed and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"AHEM!"

Naruto looked up to see everyone of the adults glaring at him. Anna was still laughing in his arms. Anko was the only one that didn't seem mad. The assassin seemed to be trying to keep herself from laughing. The hokage arched an eyebrow at the blond.

"Have you even been listening to a word I've said, Naruto?" The hokage asked.

"No." Naruto answered casually. "When can I start kicking the crap out of people? She's getting bored." He pointed to Anna.

The hokage sighed. "Right then. Hayate?"

A man appeared in front of the hokage. A man with long darkish hair and bags under his eyes bowed at the old man.

"Thank you." The man said, coughing a little. He turned towards the crowd of genin. "Uhh…hi…I'm Gekko Hayate, uh, proctor of the third exam." He stopped and let out a few coughs. "Uh, sorry. Anyway, there are too many of you so we are…going to have a preliminary round to narrow down the contestants. Before we actually start the…er…preliminaries, if there is anywho who doesn't feel like…" He broke off in a fit of coughs.

"Is this guy on drugs or what?" Naruto said to himself.

"Uhh…sorry 'bout that." Hayate said. "So as I was saying, if there is anyone that wants to back out now, you can. Your teammates won't be affected. Please raise your hand if you don't feel ready for this test."

Naruto looked around. One person's hand was up in the air.

"Yakushi Kabuto?" Hayate coughed. "Okay…you're free to go."

As the gray-haired boy was leaving, he shot a glance at Naruto. The boy glared at the older genin.

"Don't forget my message." Naruto mouthed. Kabuto nodded and hurried out the door.

"Anyone else? No? Okay…then we can…" He broke off in another series of coughs. Anna tried to cough in Naruto's arms.

"Don't do that." Naruto said. "It's bad for you." Anna nodded, smiling up at him. She sneezed instead.

"This preliminaries will be one on one individual matches." Hayate explained. "The victors of each round will go on to the third, and final, exam."

"But sir! There are twenty-six of us!" Sakura pointed out. "We'll only have thirteen matches! Won't that be an uneven number?"

"Not all the matches will have victors." Hayate said. He let out a few coughs.

"So is it a fight to the death then?" Chouji asked nervously.

"Um…No. If you feel overpowered, then surrender." Hayate said. "I'll stop the match when I think there is a clear winner. The other jounin may step in if they feel it necessary as well. That's unlikely though." Hayate coughed and pointed towards a large computer screen high above them on the wall. "This will determine who you will fight. So, uh, let's see who's first…"

The crowd looked up at the black screen. Scrambled names appeared on the screen. The shifted and switched out until it read two names.

"**Uchiha Sasuke vs Akado Yoroi."**

"Okay…there we go." Hayate coughed. "The two combatants stay down here. The rest of you, move to the upper gallery so you may watch the battle without getting caught in the fighting."

Everyone turned and ascended the stairs. Naruto smiled down at Anna.

"Can you believe it? You're gonna see people beat the shit out of each other!" Naruto smiled. Anna laughed and clapped her hands together.

"She probably doesn't even know what your saying, and you shouldn't make a child love fighting." Shikamaru said as he walked beside him.

"It's fun to watch people fight, Shikamaru." Naruto stated. "She could learn a thing or two by watching this." Anna giggled in response.

X.X.X

The first few battles were entertaining. Sasuke's battle had been interesting. His opponent was one of Kabuto's teammates. His opponent could suck away chakra with his hand. Sasuke finished him off with a move Lee proclaimed to be an adaption of his own. Shino was next. Naruto didn't think the bug nin was strong at first, but the boy was merciless. He almost ripped off the arms of the rain nin he was fighting. Kankuro had succeeded in breaking every bone in the body of Kabuto's other teammate when they fought. The ninja was taken away on a stretcher. When the board declared Sakura and Ino had to fight against each other, Naruto had half expected a stupid fangirl bitch fight. But instead, the two girls fought strongly and bravely, doing everything they could to overwhelm each other. It ended as a tie with both girls unable to continue.

Naruto was getting a bit impatient. Watching the fights was fun and all, but he really craved to be apart of the fighting. He wondered why he felt such a strong need to fight…it kind of scared him.

Haku ended up fighting against Kiba. The dog nin was clever, using Akamaru to make it a two on one battle. But with expert accuracy, Haku was able to render Kiba and his mutt immobile after a few well placed senbon needles. Saki fought against a grass nin. The small medic nin could actually put up a good fight. Her style was similar to the Hyuuga's, but also completely different. She seemed to know just where to hit her opponent to make it hurt the most. Her opponent was downed after a few strikes. A rain nin fought a grass nin. Naruto hadn't really paid much attention to that battle, but he knew the rain ninja won. Tenten fought against the sand nin Temari. The battle ended in an ugly way. Temari had deflected all of Tenten's attacks with her giant fan and almost broke Tenten's spine. She was taken away on a stretcher. She had gotten a bad concussion.

"I hope it's my fight next." Naruto muttered.

"Why are you so eager to fight?" Shikamaru asked. He was lying against the wall. He had slept through most of the battles. "I'd rather take a nap than fight any day.

"**Nara Shikamaru vs Moroshi Aile."**

"And that's the end of that." Naruto chuckled. Shikamaru groaned and made his way down to the field of battle.

"This battle will be over in a flash." The grass nin girl smirked, cracking her knuckles. Shikamaru sighed.

"Begin." Hayate called.

Shikamaru crouched down and made the necessary hand sign for his family jutsu. He smirked. The girl was rushing right at him. This would be cake…

Then his arm started to burn…

Shikamaru's teeth clenched. He could feel his arm burning. It was exactly like a few days ago. The pain was lesser, but still unbearable.

"Shit!" Shikamaru cursed. Stopped in performing the jutsu and grabbed his arm. It wouldn't stop throbbing.

"Gotcha!"

Shikamaru's eyes widened. He was punched straight across the face. A few more punches were delivered to his stomach and then a uppercut to his chin. He went flying and landed on his back. Shikamaru cursed and grabbed his arm again. Why wouldn't it stop?

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?!" Ino called from above. "Kick her butt!"

"It's acting up again." Hinata said worriedly. Naruto stepped towards the edge of the railing. Anko retrained him.

"I'll intervine when I have to." She said solemnly. "He's not done yet."

Shikamaru could feel the mark start to spread. It was already hard to contain before, but this was unbelievable.

"It must act up during a fight." Shikamaru muttered. "Dammit! I can't use Shadow Manipulation with this!"

The grass nin rushed towards him again. Shikamaru took a fighting position. She delivered a few quick punches, all of which Shikamaru blocked. She drove him backwards, still punching. Shikamaru blocked every punch.

"What's wrong? Fight me!" The girl ordered.

"I don't hit girls." Shikamaru said.

"Ha! Then this makes things easier for me!"

Shikamaru's back hit the wall. He crouched down and rolled to the side to avoid an onset of punches. He grabbed his arm as he jumped backwards.

'_I can't go on like this.' _Shikamaru thought. The mark had already completely covered his arm. _'I can't seem to restrain it! I could let go a little bit to perform the jutsu…but then what would the mark do to me? I have to do it, I'm almost out of energy anyway.'_

Shikamaru reached inside his back pocket. The girl came rushing towards him. He threw a kunai at the girl's feet. It had an explosive tag attached to it. The girl back flipped just as it detonated. She smirked.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" She laughed.

Shikamaru frowned and crouched down, performing the necessary hand signs to perform the jutsu again. The mark was spreading over his skin like a flame now. The pain had lessened, but it was still there.

"This is it!" The girl laughed as she sprang at Shikamaru. But she was stuck in place. She stood up straight as Shikamaru did the same. She looked at him with wide eyes. "W-What did you do?"

"I haven't got time to tell you how I did it." Shikamaru said as he wiped away the blood from his mouth. "I'm going to make this quick." He pulled out a shuriken from his pouch. The girl did the same. Shikamaru threw it at her and she mimicked him. He bent all the way backwards. The shot over him. The girl wasn't so lucky. She smashed her head into the wall behind her and fell to the ground, unconscious. The shuriken bounced off the wall.

"He used the explosive tag to drive her back towards the wall." Anko said thoughtfully. "Clever."

"Winner, Nara Shikamaru." Hayate announced. Shikamaru made his way back upstairs. The mark started retreating.

"You okay?" Naruto asked.

"I'm going to rest." Shikamaru grumbled. He laid against the wall and sank to the ground. Anko shot a glance at Naruto. The blond shook his head.

"Okay…" Hayate said. "The next match will be…" The computer came up with two names.

"**Hyuuga Neji vs Hyuuga Hinata."**

"This should be interesting." Anko smiled. She turned towards Hinata. "Show him what you've got."

"Kick his ass." Naruto grinned giving her a thumbs up. Hinata nodded and made her way down to the battle arena. Neji stood opposite to her. He looked a bit hesitant.

"Hinata…you can back out if you want…" Neji suggested, not exactly willing to fight his cousin.

Hinata smiled and took a fighting stance. "I didn't come all this way to throw in the towel, Neji. I'm going to give it my all. You had better do the same."

Neji smirked. He activated his Byakugan as Hinata did the same. "Well said!"

"Begin." Hayate ordered.

Both Hyuugas rushed towards each other. Hinata stopped in her tracks and block Neji's palm. They exchanged blows, none of them hit their mark. Naruto gripped the railing with his free hand. Anna watched the battle with wide eyes. Everyone was holding their breath. Who would get hit first?

They each kept exchanging blows. Eventually, they sprang away from each other. Both were breathing heavily, trying to catch their breath. Neji was the first to recover. He ran at Hinata with his palm in front.

Hinata was too slow to block this one. She twisted slightly and Neji hit her shoulder, hard. Blood started to soak her jacket.

"Hinata?" Neji asked worriedly. His attack shouldn't have made her bleed. His eyes widened as he was kicked in the stomach. He hopped backwards, clutching his abdomen.

"Crap. Her wound opened up again." Naruto muttered.

"Don't worry about me, Neji." Hinata said. She rushed towards him. "Keep fighting!"

They exchanged blows again. Everyone could see that Hinata was starting to falter. Neji thrust his hand forward. Hinata wasn't quick enough to dodge. The heiress gasped as his fist slammed into her chest. Neji's eyes widened. Hinata punched upward and hit the underside of his chin. He staggered backwards. He wiped the blood that dribbled from his mouth.

"Hinata?"

The girl was clutching her chest and her breathing was harsh. She coughed and blood spurted from her lips.

"He hit her heart by accident!" Anko gasped. "This could be bad!"

She looked up at Neji. Her eyes were narrowed in determination.

"Not…yet…" She gasped. She tried to walk forward, but fell to her knees. She collapsed on the ground.

"GET A MEDIC! NOW!" Neji roared. He made his way over to his cousin.

"What happened?" Shikamaru yawned. He felt something on his stomach. His eyes shot open when he saw Anna sitting on his stomach, looking at him expectantly. Shikamaru looked at Naruto. "What's going on?"

He never got an answer. Naruto jumped down to the floor and ran over to the Hyuuga girl. He crouched next to her and took her hand in his own.

"Hinata! Hinata! Say something!" Naruto begged. Hinata's eyes slowly peeled open.

"Naru…to?" Hinata asked. More blood fell from her lips. "I'm sorry…I lost…"

"No, you did great." Naruto smiled. "Some of the best fighting yet." Hinata smiled and closed her eyes. Naruto cursed. Anko was suddenly beside him.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE MEDICS!?" Anko screamed. Some medic nin quickly made their way over to the girl and placed her on a stretcher.

"We'll get her taken care of right away." One of the men said.

"So she'll be okay?" Anko asked.

"Definitely." The man affirmed. They left with Hinata. Shikamaru hopped down to the ground with Anna still in his arms. He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"She'll be okay." Shikamaru said.

"I hope so." Naruto sighed. He glared at Neji. "I should kill you."

Neji's eyes widened for a moment, but then they narrowed into a glare. "It was that wound that affected her. If anyone is at fault it's you. _You're _the one who did that to her."

Naruto felt anger bubble up inside him. His eyes flashed red for a moment. Neji stepped back. Naruto grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up in the air. Shikamaru and Anko's protests fell on deaf ears.

"I dare you to say that again." Naruto growled menacingly. Neji glared at him, though Naruto could see the fear in his eyes.

A sob came from behind him.

Naruto turned to she Anna crying in Shikamaru's arms. His gaze softened. Naruto dropped the Hyuuga and made his way over to Shikamaru. Anna looked up at him. Tears still poured from her eyes.

"Daddy…" Anna sniffled. She was distraught over her adoptive father's behavior. Naruto mentally beat himself with a frying pan. How could he make her cry like that?

"Give her to me." Naruto said as he held his hands towards his daughter. Shikamaru nodded and handed Anna over to him. The little girl buried her face in Naruto's chest.

"Hey…come on Anna…" Naruto said softly. "You're getting my shirt wet. Don't cry." Anna looked up at him. Naruto smiled at her.

"Daddy…scary…" Anna cried.

Naruto felt guilt bubble up in his stomach. He could handle the others being scared of him. But Anna being scared of him? That hurt real bad.

"No. I'm not scary." Naruto hugged the little girl. "I promise I won't scare you again. Never again."

Anna looked him with wide eyes. Naruto wiped away her tears. The girl smiled and threw her arms around his neck.

"Daddy…nice." Anna smiled in contentment. Naruto smiled. He'd never scare her again. He'd hate himself if he ever made her cry because of him again.

"Excuse me." Hayate spoke up. "Can you return to the balcony? I'd like to start the next round. The combatants have already been picked." Naruto looked up at the screen.

"**Uzumaki Naruto vs Arouli Raku."**

Naruto smirked. Finally, something to keep him entertained. He handed Anna back to Shikamaru.

"Take care of her for a bit. I don't trust her with Anna anymore." Naruto said, glaring at Anko. He looked at Anna. "How did you learn new words anyway?"

"I taught them to her." Anko said proudly. "I was bored while you guys were away, so I decided to teach her some stuff."

"If I hear her say one curse word, I'll kill you." Naruto threatened. Anko laughed. She and Shikamaru made their way back to the balcony. Neji followed them. Naruto's opponent stood in front of him.

"My opponent is this brat? Man, that sucks." The rain nin sighed. Naruto smirked. His chakra claws formed around his fingers. He was going to enjoy this.

X.X.X

Naruto's match didn't last long. He overwhelmed his opponent with shadow clones and performed a move he made up from watching Sasuke to finish his opponent off. He called it, "Naruto Uzumaki Barrage". Naruto made his way up the stairs to the balcony as the medics carried away the unconscious rain nin.

"Nice match." Shikamaru said as he handed Anna to him.

"Thanks." Naruto smiled. He looked down at Anna. "What'd you think?"

"Nice!" Anna beamed, throwing her hands up in the air. Naruto looked at the computer screen to see who would fight next.

"**Rock Lee vs Gaara."**

Naruto frowned. Lee whooped excitedly and hopped down to the arena. Gaara slowly walked down the steps to the battlefield. Sand poured out from the gourd on his back.

"Will he be able to beat him? I wonder…" Naruto muttered to himself.

"No." Came a voice from beside him.

Naruto turned to see Gaara's sibling, Kankuro, standing next to him. Naruto knew why Lee had a bad chance at winning. He was fighting a demon container.

"No matter how good a fighter that Lee kid is, he'll never be able to touch Gaara." Kankuro said grimly. Naruto sighed. The puppet nin looked at Anna. The girl was sucking her thumb and staring at duo below in fascination.

"Hey…Naruto, right?" Kankuro said. "What's with the kid? She your sister or something?"

"Nah. She's my daughter." Naruto said it as if it was completely normal. Kankuro stared at him with a bewildered expression.

"Go Lee!" Sakura yelled. "You can beat him!"

"Show him the mighty flames of your youth!" Gai encouraged.

The battle began. Lee launched a kick at Gaara's face but it was blocked by a wall of sand. A series of strong punches and kicks followed it but the sand that surrounded Gaara deflected every one of them.

"How is he doing that?" Naruto said in surprise.

"It's not what Gaara's doing." Kankuro answered. "It's like the sand has a mind of its own. It protects Gaara against anything. That's why no one has ever been able to touch him."

"I think he might be able to get around the sand though." Naruto said.

"What?"

"Look."

Lee had removed some weights hidden under his legs warmers. They fell to the floor, making craters as they impacted the ground. Lee was nothing but a blur now. Without the weights, he could move as fast as he wanted. He outmaneuvered Gaara's sand and punched the boy across the face. Lee launched a kick at the boy, sending him in the air. The boy's face crumbled and cracked. The cracked places fell from his face to reveal new skin. Gaara broke out into a huge, sinister smile.

"It's awake!" Kankuro said with wide eyes.

Naruto looked down at the auburn-haired boy. He could feel another presence.

"The Shukaku?" Naruto whispered.

"That kid had better be quick enough to evade him." Kankuro murmured. "If he catches Lee, it's gonna play with him and then…he'll kill him."

The fight dragged on. Gaara's sand was like an ocean covering the field. Wherever Lee ran, sand was right in front of him. Gaara attacked the boy mercilessly and laughed as he did so. Lee was thrown around like a rag doll. Naruto had to cover Anna's eyes halfway through. No one expected a battle to be like this. Everyone looked at the two battle. Everyone was worried for Lee, but no one made an attempt to move out of fear. Lee used a last resort and opened five of the seven celestial gates and used the reverse lotus technique on the boy in an attempt to finish him off. Even after the attack, which left the arena cracked and ruined, Gaara was lying on the ground, his hand outstretched towards Lee. Sand crept over to the downed nin and wrapped itself around his arm and leg, crushing them. Luckily, Gai intervened and swept the sand away, saving Lee from a gruesome demise.

"That was…" Naruto said quietly with wide eyes. "Was he even conscious of his actions?"

"Yeah, he was." Kankuro muttered as he watched Lee being carried away on a stretcher. "Gaara crushed his arm and leg. I don't think he'll be able to be a ninja if he doesn't recover." Kankuro shuddered. "It's times like these that make me happy that I'm never going to fight Gaara." Kankuro walked down the steps and to the other balcony where his sister and sensei were.

Naruto watched as Gaara slowly picked himself up off the ground. For a moment, Naruto saw the boy had a pained expression on his face. A moment later, his emotionless mask returned and he made his way up to his team.

"I feel sorry for him." Shikamaru said from beside Naruto.

"For Gaara or for Lee?" Naruto asked.

"Both." Shikamaru sighed. "He's the same as you…isn't he?" Naruto remained silent.

"Um…okay…we will now move on to the last match." Hayate said looking up at the computer screen.

The last match was a battle between Azrael and Chouji. It was the quickest battle in the preliminaries. Before Chouji could perform his family jutsu, Azrael dashed forward and delivered a few quick jabs to Chouji's arms and legs. The fat boy fell to the ground, groaning.

"Um…Azrael wins." Hayate said, a little shocked. "Could all the winners come down here?"

Everyone made their way down to the arena. Naruto looked around at the smashed walls and cracked floor. Naruto's mind flashed to Gaara's laughing face as he toyed with Lee. Naruto looked down at the floor. Was he like that in Partial Shift?

"Don't let it bother you." Shikamaru said suddenly. Naruto looked at him, surprised. "You're not like him."

"Daddy." Anna smiled up at him.

Naruto smiled at Shikamaru and Anna. "Thanks."

"Okay…uh…" Hayate started to speak but broke of into a fit of coughing again. "Now that the preliminary round is complete, I'll leave the rest to you, hokage-sama." Hayate disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sarutobi stepped forward.

"First of all, I'd like to say congratulations to all of you." The hokage beamed. "The finals will begin a month from today. I expect you all to train hard until then. Now," He paused and gestured towards Kurenai, who walked forward with a small box in her hand. "You will take a slip from this box and your opponent will be chosen accordingly."

"If we win, do we become chunin?" Saki asked curiously.

"There as a chance that all of you will become chunin, or none of you will." The hokage said sagely. "It's really all about what you do during the matches. Whether you win or lose, does not really matter. If the judges are impressed, you may become chunin. Simply put, even if you win the tournament, you could still stay a genin. If you lose in the first round, you could become a chunin." The man pointed at the box Kurenai was holding. "Now take a slip."

Naruto stepped forward and reached for the box. Anna snatched one of the slips before he could even get his hand close to the box. The girl showed the boy his number.

"One?" Naruto said in disbelief. Anna smiled at him. "Guess that's just the luck of the draw."

"Each of you read your number." The hokage ordered. "Ibiki will write it down."

"Eight." Shikamaru sighed.

"Six." Shino replied.

"Five." Kankuro answered.

"Three." Gaara growled.

"Ten." Azrael said quietly.

"Twelve." Saki chirped.

"Two." Neji said.

"Eleven." The remaining rain ninja said.

"Four." Sasuke said.

"Nine." Haku smiled.

"Seven." Temari said.

"Is that all? Good." The hokage smiled. "Ibiki, you can show them who they're up against."

"Neji." Naruto muttered as he observed the board. "I'll be looking forward to my match."

"I won't be." Shikamaru groaned. He rubbed his back in remembrance of what Temari did to Tenten. "That girl is troublesome."

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just because we're teammates." Haku smiled at Azrael. The boy just nodded in response. Saki eyed her opponent nervously.

Gaara looked at Sasuke with cold eyes. "Not against Uzumaki or the Sanbi girl…" He muttered to himself. "No matter…I'll destroy Sasuke first. Kankuro glared at Shino. The bug nin ignored him.

"See you all in a month." The hokage said. "You are all free to go."

Naruto took one last look around the room. He looked back at what had happened in the past few days. His problems with Kyuubi had gotten more serious, He met two other demon containers, Shikamaru got a dangerous curse mark, he found out that Anko and Yamato had a relationship with Orochimaru, or the Hachibi, and he had kiss Hinata, which made his head go all fuzzy. Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm going to need a nap." Naruto grumbled.

"Same here." Shikamaru agreed.

Anna yawned, agreeing with them both.

X.X.X

A/N: Alright…okay…it was okay…

Right, so there you go. Naruto's life is shit, am I right? At least he's got Anna, which is the only person that seems to make him happy now. Anywho, the next chapter is probably gonna be really long because it's going to be a huge turning point for my story. What's gonna happen will (I hope) blow your minds. I'm really confident about it.

You guys may or may not have some questions. Most of them should be reveal in the next chapter, hopefully. I don't have that much to say except that I hope you guys will stay interested. I'll try to post the next chapter soon.

Reminder: Reviews encourage and inspire me.

Kiiam


	14. Containers and demons

Naruto laid in the grass with Anna sleeping soundly on his chest

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Sorry if it's a bit late. I should have uploaded this like a week ago but I went on vacation to see some relatives. The horrors of going to a place where your laptop doesn't get internet connection. This chapter is the longest chapter yet, so I think it should make up for my lateness. Tell me what you think. Enjoy.

**Chapter 14**

Naruto laid in the grass with Anna sleeping soundly on his chest. The demon container closed his eyes as he felt a light breeze brush over on top of him making him feel at ease and relaxed. Nowadays, this feeling had become a rarity. He had been through a lot of shit in his fourteen years of living. He had a bad childhood, an obvious fact, and bad was a too light of word to describe it. The word terrible didn't even compare to what he had gone through only a week ago.

He felt someone lie down next to him. Naruto sighed, not speaking to the friend that was next to him. The newcomer didn't say a word. The duo just lied there, watching the white cotton balls that moved in the blue sky.

"Sheika." Anna smiled, turning her head to look at the pineapple-haired boy. Naruto sighed. She had woken up. She had also mispronounced his name.

"It's been a while since we've been here." Shikamaru smiled.

"Hm." Naruto mumbled in agreement.

"We met here, in this exact spot, about a year ago. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Naruto sighed.

The hill that had been their spot for training and relaxing seemed so unfamiliar to them. Ever since they started training in the Forest of Death, the duo never really paid a visit to their sacred spot. It had been so long since the branches and leaves of the crook tree swayed above them. So long since they had laid on the hill and watched the clouds go by. When Naruto thought about it, where they were, it almost felt like he was back in his academy days. It felt as if he had no problems in the world. That was a fantasy that, at the moment, could never become a reality.

"I haven't seen you around lately." Shikamaru said lazily. "I even asked the hokage where you were, as troublesome as it was. Have you been training?"

"How are Hinata and the bitch doing?" Naruto asked, avoiding the question.

"Hinata's doing fine. She seems to be putting her all into training, even though she's not participating in the third exam." Shikamaru groaned. "Anko has been especially tough on me these past couple days. I was originally going to train with my father in preparation for the last test of the chunin exams, but that troublesome woman forcefully convinced him to let her train me." The shadow manipulator sighed. "She's angry at you, you know? We haven't seen you since the second exam. I can tell she's worried though. So is Hin."

"I'm training on my own." Naruto stated.

"Why?"

"I did it before you guys showed up, didn't I?" Naruto asked, turning his head and arching an eyebrow at his companion. "I don't need you all getting in my way."

"You don't have to be afraid of hurting us." Shikamaru said yawning.

Naruto sighed. He couldn't take the risks. So much had happened to him, all relating to a certain fur ball and his grip on sanity. Occasionally, the blond had to smash a few things in hopes of keeping his mind off a feeling of bloodlust that would affect him every so often. He felt somehow satisfied whenever he smashed or crushed something with his hands. Naruto hated it. He was ashamed for feeling like this. Everyday he was afraid of completely losing it.

This bloodlust came with a feeling of despair and hopelessness. Recent events had caused these feelings to grow and affect the demon container. He wanted it all to end, and sometimes felt like giving himself to the Kyuubi to end all his misery. A coward's way out, but it did sound nice.

But one person kept him somewhat himself. Gave him the slightest drive and just enough motivation to press on. Anna, his adopted daughter. Naruto had almost given her up to Anko so he wouldn't have to be afraid of hurting her too. But something kept him from doing so. Every time he saw her smile and hear her cheerful voice, it almost made him feel normal again. Just making her laugh and smile, reminded him that she loved him for who he was. Ever since he had made her cry at the chunin exam's second test, he swore to himself he wouldn't make her cry because of his weakness. He would never show his inhuman side to her ever again. He couldn't let her go, and every time he tried to a tug in the back of his head prevented him from doing so. She was the only person that made him feel…happy…

Naruto sighed. He could keep himself from hurting Anna, but he wasn't sure about everyone else. Every time he thought about visiting or saying hello to one of his friends, Hinata's pained face from when he cut her shoulder, or the Hachibi placing that curse mark on Shikamaru came to mind. He had inflicted the wound upon her. To him, those memories were a painful reminder that he couldn't protect his friends from enemies, or himself. He couldn't put them in harm's way, not until he sorted himself out a bit.

"Naruto, you don't have to do this to yourself." Shikamaru said seriously. "Isolating yourself could cause other problems if you-"

"I'm changing." Naruto interrupted him.

"We all are." Shikamaru sighed. "Hinata's gotten stronger and braver, I've got a curse seal and I'm actually working for once, and you are…probably the one who's changed the most."

"You don't understand." Naruto said, clenching his fists. "I feel weak and tired. I want to rest. But I can't. I think that if I do, I'll wake up to find my body completely changed and moving on it's own. I feel like I could go demon right now, in fact."

Shikamaru sighed and got up. Being one of the few who were close to the demon container and the first to actually befriend him had caused them to form a strong bond of brotherly friendship. As much as Shikamaru wanted to help, he knew there would be no convincing Naruto. All he could do was watch and give him some support whenever he got the chance. Hopefully, Naruto would allow himself and others help him deal with what was happening to him.

"I suppose I can't understand exactly what you're going through." Shikamaru sighed. He tapped his upper arm. "But I might have a slight idea of how painful it can be at times. Just tell me if there's anything I can help you with. I'll always be willing to help…if it isn't too troublesome."

"Right." Naruto said. He allowed a small smile to make its way to his lips. Shikamaru turned on his hill and departed.

Naruto laid there for a few more hours. It turned dark very quickly. Some whining for food on Anna's part made him get up and decide to turn in for the day. He looked back at the crook tree. Once again, it reminded him of himself. Apart from the other trees…different…alone…

Just as he was about to depart, something caught his eye. Naruto looked down and saw a small bud sprouting next to the tree. Naruto blinked at it a few times. He switched his gaze from the bud to Anna. The girl looked up at him and smiled. A small smile appeared on the teen's face.

"Maybe not completely alone." Naruto said quietly as he made his way towards his apartment with Anna smiling in his arms.

X.X.X

Naruto cursed as he fell into the steaming pool of water for almost the twenty-second time this morning. Anna sat on the patio, smiling and laughing each time the blond fell into the hot spring water. Naruto groaned as he hoisted himself out of the water. He was smart in wearing only his boxers when doing this. He didn't want his other clothes getting wet. He had decided to train in the back of the bathhouse to avoid anyone spotting him. Privacy was what he needed.

Lately, he had been trying chakra control exercises to, obviously, maintain better control over his chakra. Naruto figured if he could do so, he could better contain the Kyuubi's chakra by suppressing it with his own. It was proving to be easier said than done.

Naruto had first tried walking up a tree. He had been both surprised and pissed when he found out he could only climb halfway up a tree. He had tried many times to make it to the top, but always failed in the end. Next, he had tried to fire some chakra bullets using Chakra Shot at a target he had drawn on a tree. He used to be able to hit the center all the time, but now he was lucky if he hit the outer rim of the target. His bullets kept on firing in different directions even though he was pointing straight at the target. Naruto had given up and settled for the old trick of walking on water. The hokage had suggested it after the blond had told him about his problems in control. He said it was a good exercise for practicing chakra control. Unfortunately, the boy was having even more trouble with this exercise than with the other two.

Naruto was trying to suppress the Kyuubi with his own chakra, but it was screwing with his control. His chakra was off balance because of the Kyuubi leaking out his chakra. Naruto couldn't perform jutsu or any technique that required chakra and suppress the Kyuubi's at the same time. The irony of all this was sickening. He used to complain about the Kyuubi's training exercises when he was little. Now, he would have loved to have some tips about how to control his vast amounts of chakra. But there was no way in hell he was going into mindscape to ask the fur ball.

"Nice! Nice!" Anna laughed as Naruto fell in the water again. Naruto gasped as he resurfaced. He glared at Anna as she laughed at him.

"It's not funny." Naruto said. Anna giggled at his mad face.

The blond hoisted himself out of water, again. He lay on the ground, panting as he tried to regain some energy. Anna patted his head with her tiny hand in an attempt to comfort him. He used either to little chakra, or too much. It was hard to tell with his lack of control. Regardless, it drained him altogether. Kami, he hated his life.

"Hey, kid. Could you keep it down?" Came a gruff voice from behind him. "You're gonna blow my cover if you keep making all those splashing noises."

Naruto sat up and turned. A large, white-haired man with red tattoos on his face with a stern expression on his face was sitting on a giant toad at the back of the women's bathhouse. Naruto blinked. Maybe all this training was messing with his head.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked.

"Is that any polite way to greet a stranger?" The man asked folding his arms.

"Says the guy peeping at naked women in secrecy." Naruto chuckled.

"It's not peeping, it's _research_." The man said indignantly. "Kids have no manners."

"Perv." Naruto stated.

"I am not!" The man shouted. "I am Jiraiya, one of the three sannin of Konoha! Also, the holy hermit sage of the Mount Myoboku Toads, the toad sage! Lastly, I am also the writer of the infamous Icha Icha novel series!" He pulled out an orange book from his robe as he struck a stupid post on the toad's head.

"Never heard of you." Naruto said lazily. "And what book?"

Jiraiya fell off the toad in shock. He got up and glared at Naruto muttering something about 'stupid kids'. Naruto sighed. He had no time to deal with some old perverted geezer. Naruto stepped out on the pond again and tried his best to focus the right amount of chakra to his feet. He shouted when he fell into the hot water again. Jiraiya watched with an amused expression on his face.

"Dammit." Naruto muttered as he pulled himself out of the water. Anna crawled over to him and hugged his arm. Naruto sat down and pulled her into his lap. The girl yawned and snuggled into him despite his being soaked. She fell right asleep.

"I could use a rest myself." Naruto sighed. "Why can't I get this done right?"

"That's the walk on water trick you're trying, right?" Jiraiya asked casually. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. What do you care?"

"I don't. It's just that you must be a complete amateur if you fail in doing such a simple trick." The toad sage smirked. Naruto glared at him. Jiraiya looked down at the boy's stomach. The Kyuubi's seal faded away just as he caught a glimpse of it. His face turned serious. "Why are you having so much trouble controlling your chakra?"

"I don't know…" Naruto lied. "It's just been unbalanced lately. The simplest tricks are becoming the hardest now."

"If that's all it is," Jiraiya smiled. "I, Jiraiya, holy hermit sage."

"And pervert."

"Quiet…" Jiraiya growled. "Will take you…um…"

"Uzumaki Naruto." The blond replied. "And stop shouting. You'll wake her up."

The sannin looked at Anna curiously for a moment then turned his attention back to Naruto. "Will take you, Uzumaki Naruto, to be my pupil and student!"

"Wait…what?" Naruto asked in astonishment.

"You should be honored! Go on, celebrate!" Naruto watched as the man danced around in circles chanting in some retarded fashion. The demon container watched him half-amused and half-creeped out.

"Now," Jiraiya said, holding out his hands. "Give me the girl."

"What?" Naruto said darkly.

"You can't train if your holding her, can you?" Jiraiya sighed. Naruto cautiously handed the girl over to the geezer. The sage put the girl on top of his toad's head. Jiraiya turned back towards his new student. "Why are you in possession of a child anyway?"

"She's my daughter." Naruto sighed.

Jiraiya stared at him. _'Sensei never mentioned he had a daughter…I'll ask later.'_

Shaking off his mild state of shock, he turned back to the situation at hand. "Now lift your hands up in the air."

"What?" Naruto looked at him weirdly.

"You heard me, raise your hands up in the air like you're cheering!" Jiraiya lifted his hands in the air. Naruto mimicked him.

"Hey perv. What kind of training is this?" Naruto asked.

"Shut up and hold still." Jiraiya demanded. He crouched down and looked at Naruto's stomach. "Could you exert a bit of chakra, please?" Naruto focused his chakra to his hands as he tried his best to mold the Chakra Claws. As he was doing this, the Kyuubi's seal appeared on his stomach.

"Did you have any specific training before you became a genin?" Jiraiya asked.

"I trained in a forest not to far from my home." Naruto answered.

"Did you have a sensei?" Jiraiya asked. "Maybe someone like…the Kyuubi no Yoko?"

Naruto's eyes widened. He looked down at his stomach to see the seal had revealed itself. He sighed. There was no hiding it now.

"Yeah. The fur ball trained me ever since I was little." Naruto grumbled.

"When did you start having problems with your chakra control?" Jiraiya asked.

"About a week ago. Just after the second test of the chunin exams."

"Did you have any problems before then?"

"Well…no." Naruto admitted. "Everything was perfect until now."

"Are you doing anything different than you did a week ago when your chakra control was fine?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm trying to suppress the Kyuubi's chakra with my own so he won't…corrupt any of my chakra."

"Ah, so that's the problem." Jiraiya said nodding. "You are trying to restrain the Kyuubi and fight at the same time. Let me be the first to tell you that what's happening is your own fault."

"Excuse me?"

"The Kyuubi is to strong to be restrained by your chakra alone. Just because you're part of the Unamekei clan and have a lot of chakra, don't think it's enough to contain the Kyuubi. In fact, because you're trying to suppress him with your own chakra, the Kyuubi has more of a chance to corrupt your body."

"Huh?" Naruto was completely lost now.

"When you suppress him, his chakra comes in contact with your natural chakra. This makes it easier for him to leak out his own chakra and corrupt your own. This is probably why your chakra system overloads every time you use chakra. You are actually using some of the Kyuubi's chakra with your own, thusly, throwing your chakra off balance."

"Then what should I do?" Naruto asked.

"You shouldn't be fighting him with your chakra. Don't fight him at all. That's the most effective way to train right now."

"But he leaks out his chakra every time I use my own!" Naruto pointed out. "How can I fight that?"

"Hm." Jiraiya thought for a moment. "I got it. Tomorrow, met me at the top of the canyon tomorrow. I'll teach you a new trick and get someone to teach you how to suppress the Kyuubi's chakra. Until then, why don't you give the water walking trick another go. This time, take complete control over your chakra. Don't suppress the Kyuubi. Just do what you did before."

Naruto walked towards the edge of the pool. He made his chakra focus near the soles of his feet. He stepped out onto the water, only this time he did not sink. Naruto sighed. He pointed at a tree across the pool and shot some chakra bullets at it. They hit their mark. Naruto smiled. At least his chakra wasn't off balance anymore. But was this really the best way to fight the Kyuubi?

"Hey, perv." Naruto said turning around. He looked around for the white-haired man. All he saw was Anna sleeping on the edge of the pool. Naruto stepped back onto the patio and picked up Anna.

"He ditched me."

X.X.X

"So, what do you say?" Jiraiya smiled.

"Of course. I'd be more than willing to help." Yamato smiled. Beside him, Anko downed another glass of beer.

"That little brat hasn't shown his face for a long time now." Anko slurred, already drunk. "When I get my hands on him…POW! I'll teach him not to ditch my training sessions."

"How is Naruto doing?" Yamato asked. "I can't really watch him anymore since he knows I'm there now. A few days ago he discovered me and politely asked if he could be left alone."

"Polite? Ha!" Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "It's just like Anko says. That kid is a brat. He called me a pervert…"

"Ah, but that is a true fact." Yamato smiled.

"Research, research!" Jiraiya insisted, pulling out his orange novel.

"Pervert." Anko agreed.

"The boy is strong, but the fox is as well." Jiraiya nodded. "He looked tired when I saw him. And his face…the Kyuubi really changed him, didn't he?"

"More than you know." Anko said solemnly.

"Sober already?" Jiraiya chuckled. He leaned forward. "So tell me about these changes."

"From what he's told us, he allows it happen." Yamato said. "The Kyuubi strikes when he's at his weakest or when he is angry. When Naruto is in those states, I know that the Kyuubi's words must seem so much more appealing to him. Naruto allows the Kyuubi to feed him his chakra, also allowing the Kyuubi to leak out his chakra and take over Naruto's body.

"Shouldn't the seal prevent the Kyuubi's chakra from leaking out?" Jiraiya asked.

"That would be the case, if it weren't for Naruto's bloodline." Yamato explained. "You know the Unamekei have the power to release and mold chakra, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, the Kyuubi can use Naruto's bloodline to get around the seal." Yamato continued. "When in Partial Shift, as Naruto calls it, the Kyuubi releases his own chakra using the bloodline to mold his chakra together with Naruto's and change his body to allow him better control, leaving marks. You've seen them, haven't you?"

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded gravely. "Slitted pupils, sharp teeth, and his whisker marks are bigger. I'm glad Sarutobi called me when he did. Tsunade should be here by tomorrow."

"She's coming too?" Yamato asked in surprise.

"Yeah. She's probably the best at controlling chakra. She could teach the kid a thing or two."

"It'll be good to see her again." Anko smiled.

"Don't get too drunk." Yamato warned her. Anko smiled sweetly at him. The slug sannin and the snake ninja always had drinking contests. The aftereffects of these battles were something to be feared. Yamato paled as he remembered the last time those two were drunk, together, and in a bar. The repairs had been quite expensive.

"Jiraiya…why did you take Naruto on as your student?" Anko asked. "The kid's reputation makes any sensible person stay away from him."

"But you're…" Yamato began.

"I'm not sensible." Anko smiled mischievously.

"The fox is one reason I'm taking him on." Jiraiya said. "Plus, how could I refuse my sensei's request? I also needed to do some research and Konoha is great for inspiration." Yamato covered his face with his hand and Anko glared at him. Jiraiya smiled sadly. "But the main reason…I owe it to an old friend of mine…"

"What?" Anko and Yamato asked, not exactly hearing him.

"Nothing." Jiraiya smiled. He leaned forward. "So tell me, does he still have the clan book?"

X.X.X

Sarutobi stared at the disgruntled teen in front of him. Naruto overlooked the colors that popped out at him. Anna smelled every flower she was able to get close to. A small smile crept up the hokage's lips. It had been a while since they had gone to the garden and talked. But Naruto wasn't wise-cracking and sarcastic like the other times they had talked. He was serious and attentive. He was different from the young boy he used to be. He had matured. He had to in order to deal with the trials that had been thrown his way. Even so, it was still to much for a boy his age to handle.

Naruto had come to talk to him, not about the Kyuubi, but for comfort and guidance. As unlikely as it sounded, the boy needed someone to depend on, and the hokage was one of the only people that cared and trusted him enough for Naruto to think he was dependable. The hokage had spoken at all. What Naruto had said was deep and needed to be thought over before an answer could be given. Sarutobi looked at the boy with kind eyes.

"It's really hard for me." Naruto spoke up. "Feeling like this is almost as bad as the time I thought Shikamaru died."

"I know it's hard, Naruto." Sarutobi said kindly. "The Kyuubi is strong and powerful. It's hard to fight something like him. But you must be strong. Remember, you control your body, not the Kyuubi."

"Heh. Haku said something similar to me." Naruto chuckled lightly. He frowned. "But she doesn't understand. No one does."

"…"

"I can't expect anyone to." Naruto sighed. "You and the rest of the villagers don't have to live with a living headache 24/7. Haku's demon doesn't even talk to her. Heath is friends with the Yonbi, but I know the fur ball doesn't want my friendship. Orochimaru has practically lost his battle with the Hachibi."

"…"

But you know, out of all the demon containers I've met, that Gaara kid has me got me thinking the most." Naruto said quietly. Sarutobi listened intently. "I know he hasn't lost the battle against the Shukaku. I can still see some life behind his eyes. But he's ruthless. His demon has driven him to the point where he kills anyone he comes across. What scares me is the fact that he is so much like me. He felt loneliness, sadness, isolation, everything that I've gone through. It makes me think…will I become like him?"

"No."

Naruto turned towards the hokage with an expressionless face.

"There is something that makes you different from Gaara of the sand." The hokage said thoughtfully. "For one thing, he doesn't have people that care about him like you do. Second, have anyone or anything to fight for."

"I don't follow…"

"Come now, Naruto." Sarutobi smiled. "You have friends that love and care for you. You fight to protect them, no matter what the situation is. You are willing to risk your life for them at any given moment. You strive to protect what is precious to you. Gaara does not."

"Sometimes I wonder about that…" Naruto whispered.

"What?"

"I don't think I have a reason any more." Naruto said in a deadpan voice. The hokage's eyes widened. "I've hurt the people that are precious to me, old man. I didn't do intentionally, even if it was by my own hand or someone else's, I hurt them."

"What are you saying?"

"That night when Mizuki stole the scroll, Iruka sensei was hurt trying to protect me. It was my fault. In wave, Shikamaru almost died because I was too weak to protect him. Also, in my anger I did what the Kyuubi wanted me to do. I helped him release his own power all because I wanted revenge. As much as I hate to admit it, every time I punched and clawed into Haku's flesh, I smiled a little bit inside. All those children in cloud…that was the worst." Naruto looked down at Anna. She looked up at him curiously. "I was barely able to protect her. I had to access the Kyuubi's power to protect Anna and my teammates because I was too weak to do it myself. I really did like it when I saw all those ninja lying dead on the forest floor. I paid them back for everyone they killed that night. And then just recently, in the Forest of Death, I used the Kyuubi's power again. At first I was doing it to protect my friends from the Hachibi, but it got more enjoyable every time I punched him. Then I hurt Hinata. Because of my weakness and lack of control over that fur ball in my body I hurt her. Hell, she might have won her fight against Neji if she didn't get that wound and she would have never been sent to the infirmary! I don't think I have a drive anymore…not when I know I can't protect the people I care about…"

"Naruto…I…" The hokage was at a loss for words. Naruto had never spoken like this before. He had indeed changed. He was a whole other person now. What had happened to Uzumaki Naruto?

"Sorry. I usually don't sound this depressing." Naruto smiled slightly. He sighed. "It would be great if there was a way to make all this end, am I right?" The hokage stayed silent. Naruto bowed at him, shocking the hokage even more. "Thank you for listening, hokage-sama."

"N-Naruto. Don't do that." The hokage said, quickly stepping towards him and pushing him back up. He stared at the boy. "You really are changing…"

"Tell me about it." Naruto chuckled. "My face is proof of that. I must look pretty scary."

"Daddy, nice." Anna said firmly, folding her arms. Naruto smiled at her.

"Thanks." Naruto smiled. He turned towards the hokage. "It's getting late. We should probably be leaving now. Thanks again, old man." He turned at walked towards the exit of the garden.

"Naruto!"

The boy halted.

"Don't try to shoulder this yourself." The hokage said. "You are like a son to me. I want to help you fight this. I don't want you to become a person that you're not. You are you, no one else. If you ever want help, you can always come to me."

Naruto stood there for a while. No words were spoken. Naruto turned and smiled a sincere smile at the hokage.

"Old man, you say the stupidest shit sometimes." Naruto laughed. Anna joined in with him. Sarutobi stared at him disbelievingly. Naruto's laughter died down. "Thanks. I guess I really do have people that care for me." Naruto turned around and started walking towards the exit again. "And I'm lucky to have a someone as close to a father as you are."

The hokage stared at Naruto's retreating back, utterly shocked. His bewildered expression melted into a warm smile.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Goodbye, Naruto." The hokage beamed.

"See ya later, old man." Naruto smirked.

"Bye bye!" Anna waved. The blond and his daughter departed with smiles on their faces.

X.X.X

The next day, at exactly noon, Naruto trudged up to the canyon Jiraiya said to meet at. He took Anna along with him, of course. The child was tossing a ball of yarn she had found lying around Naruto's apartment. She refused to let go of it when Naruto tried to take it away. The boy sighed. At least she would have something to keep her entertained. Personally, Naruto would have liked to spend this beautiful and sunny day playing with Anna and sleeping under the crook tree on top of his hill. But today's training was vital. The perv had said he would help him fight the Kyuubi, so the technique relating to that was something Naruto had to learn.

Naruto finally saw the familiar blotch of white and his goofy attire. Jiraiya stood there with a pissed off look on his face. Yamato stood next to him, smiling at the new arrival. Naruto confiscated the ball of yarn much to Anna's dismay.

"You're late!" Jiraiya yelled pointing.

"You never gave me a specific time when I was supposed to be here." Naruto shrugged. "You just gave the location."

"You…"

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Yamato smiled.

"Drop the suffix." Naruto yawned. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"He is the man that will help teach you the technique necessary to restraining the Kyuubi." Jiraiya explained. "You two already know each other, so you should have no complaints."

"None whatsoever." Naruto sighed.

"Good. Now, give me your Unamekei clan book." Jiraiya ordered, holding out his hand.

"What for?" Naruto asked, clutching the yellow book in his pocket.

"So I can teach you the technique." Jiraiya said, rolling his eyes. "Jeez, lighten up!"

"I don't trust perverts." Naruto said.

"Don't call me that!" Jiraiya pleaded. "Just call me, 'Sensei', okay?"

"Ero-sensei."

A vein popped out of Jiraiya's forehead. His eye twitched and his fists clenched. Anna laughed at his funny face.

"Let's get started shall we, Jiraiya-sama." Yamato smiled, trying to calm the sannin down.

"Right, right." Jiraiya rubbed his temples. "Just give me the book kid." Naruto handed him the autobiography. Jiraiya flipped through the pages at a fast pace. Naruto could tell he was in the 'Chakra Techniques' section because he had marked each section with a tab. So there was a move in that book that could help him fight the Kyuubi?

"Ah ha!" Jiraiya declared pointing and showing the book to his student. "Right here!"

"Chakra Net?" Naruto questioned.

"It's an A-class level move, so it might be a bit difficult." Jiraiya grinned. "But we'll make it work. This is why Yamato is here."

"What does it do?" Naruto asked curiously.

"It was actually the move the last remaining Unamekei clan members used to restrain the Kyuubi so the Yondaime could seal the demon away." Jiraiya explained. Naruto's eyes widened. "It is a powerful move that is designed to prevent any chakra from being released or used."

"Like the Hyuugas can do?"

"Not exactly." The toad sage smiled. "This technique is much more powerful. There is no way anyone or anything can break free from it. It completely closes and shuts down the chakra system by suppressing it with the Chakra Net user's own chakra. To tell the truth, it was specifically designed to restrain the Kyuubi."

"So he can't release any more of his chakra if I use this?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Only when he's trying to take control of your body." Jiraiya said. "You can only use this when the Kyuubi is trying to push you into Partial or Complete Shift. Remember, the Kyuubi is residing in your body, so it could be harmful to your own chakra system if used on yourself. That's why you should use it when you think you're going to Demon Shift. The Kyuubi will be a bit separated from you so it's the perfect time to use it."

Naruto smiled. He actually felt like he could fight the Kyuubi. He handed Anna to Jiraiya and darted over to Yamato.

"So when can I learn this move?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Right now." Yamato smiled. "Do you remember what I did to restrain the Kyuubi in the Forest of Death?"

"You had the word 'Sit' painted on your hand." Naruto recalled. "For some reason, I couldn't access the Kyuubi's power."

"Right. Now, here's what you need to do…"

X.X.X

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for Naruto to learn the Chakra Net. He didn't actually use it, but he knew how to invoke it. He had to gather up as much chakra in his hands as possible and mold it into a net. He could shape it as it was being released and he had to force it down on his victim. He would have to have a strong grip on the power and overcome the Kyuubi's own power. Yamato had said the Kyuubi wasn't as strong since he was still sealed so Naruto was happy. Jiraiya walked over to them and handed Anna to Yamato. He stared down at Naruto, who for once, looked happy.

"Okay kid." Jiraiya began. "Now, I'm going to teach you a move that will really help you become stronger. This will also help you in perfecting the Chakra Net, as you do need to use a lot of chakra when using it. This exercise also uses a lot of chakra, so it's learning a new technique and perfecting the Chakra Net. Two birds with one stone."

"Great. What is it?" Naruto asked.

"The art…of SUMMONING!" Jiraiya declared dramatically.

Naruto nodded. Summoning did sound pretty cool. "So what will I summon?"

"A toad."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya weirdly. "Huh? A toad?"

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya asked.

"Can't I learn to summon something a bit more deadly and cool. Like snakes." Naruto suggested. He smirked inwardly. Let's see how Anko would like it if HE summoned giant snakes to chase after HER.

"No! Snakes are scary and ugly." Jiraiya said shaking his head with disgust. "Toads are way cooler."

"You've got some strange tastes, Ero-sensei." Naruto sighed.

"Indeed." Yamato agreed.

"Shut up." Jiraiya mumbled. He made a few hand signs and bit his thumb. "THIS IS HOW IT"S DONE!"

He slammed his palm into the ground. Smoke covered his body. When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya was sitting on top of a giant toad with a scroll in its mouth. It extended its tongue and dropped the parchment at Naruto's feet. The boy opened up the scroll and scanned through it. Some names were written inside. All of them were in blood.

"Now, you must make a pact." Jiraiya said. "Sign your name anywhere in a space. Write with your own blood."

Naruto asked no questions. He bit into his thumb and wrote his name down. He glanced at the name next to his.

'_Minato Namikaze.'_ Naruto thought. It sounded familiar somehow.

"Good." Jiraiya smiled. The toad took the scroll and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Jiraiya walked towards the edge of the canyon. He made a few hand signs. "Come over here."

Naruto arched an eyebrow at him, but followed. Naruto stared down at the large drop below. Wow. If anyone fell down there they would surely be done for…

…he felt someone lift him up from the back of his collar…

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. Jiraiya dangled him over the edge of the canyon. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Jiraiya-sama! What are you doing!?" Yamato gasped. Anna looked at the scene curiously.

"Daddy?" Anna asked, tilting her head to the side. Yamato started towards the sannin.

"Yamato, try and stop me and I will use every ounce of my power to crush you." Jiraiya threatened. Yamato stopped in his tracks.

"Wait! Yamato! Stop him! Let me go!" Naruto struggled and flailed, but the toad sage did not let go.

"Now comes the most crucial part of your training." Jiraiya said gravely. "You must learn to draw out as much chakra as you possibly can. If can't do that, you cannot possibly hope to restrain the Kyuubi."

"What does that have to do with throwing me off a cliff?!" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Life or death. You summon toad to save you or you die. Simple as that." Jiraiya smiled. His grip became loose.

"Stop! Let me go you crazy, perverted old geezer!"

Jiraiya smiled. Naruto paled.

"No! I was- WWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"N-Naruto…" Yamato whispered. Jiraiya clapped his hands a took Anna from the stunned Yamato's arms. The ANBU ran after the departing sannin. "We can't just leave him to die!"

"Whether he lives or dies is up to him." Jiraiya replied. "Besides, Tsunade will be arriving soon. I, as her teammate, friend, and fellow sannin, should be there to greet her."

"But-"

"Maybe I can teach Anna a few things while Naruto is gone." He held the child out in front of him. "Say, "Jiraiya-sama!"

Anna stared at him for a moment. She broke out into a smile.

"Ero-sensei!"

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. Yamato started laughing despite what had happened. Jiraiya chuckled sadly.

"You really are his daughter…"

X.X.X

Naruto stopped screaming and looked down. The ground was rushing up to him at a fast pace. It felt like he was cutting through the wind as he fell.

"Chakra Grab!" Naruto yelled. A rope of chakra shot out of his palm and stuck onto the canyon wall. The chakra dispersed on impact.

"What the hell!" Naruto shouted in shock. He remember Jiraiya making a few hand signs on top of the cliff. Naruto's eye twitched. "Oh, that son of a bitch!" He must have done something to prevent him from grabbing onto the canyon walls!

There was only one thing to do. He had to summon one of those giant toads to save him…or use its body to cushion his landing. Shit! He couldn't remember the hand signs. He saw Jiraiya do it, he just had to remember the hand signs.

"Here!" Naruto bit into his thumb and made some hand signs. He held his fist out. Nothing happened.

"Again!"

Nothing.

"Now!"

No froggy.

"This is it!"

Now he was pissed.

His life flashed before his eyes. What could he do? No more ramen…his friends wouldn't know which bastard killed him! Where would Anna go? The Hyuugas would put that seal on her. Would Anko take care of her? Visions of beer flashed through his mind. He was moments away from hitting the ground.

"Oh, hell no!" Naruto growled. He made some more hand signs. He remembered. Smoke blocked out his vision. He hit something bumpy and squishy. Naruto didn't seem to notice though.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH! THAT PERVERTED, COCKSUCKING SON OF A BITCH! I ALMOST DIED! I'LL RIP OFF HIS-"

"SHUT UP!

Naruto blinked. That wasn't him. He felt something warm and slimy wrap around his torso.

"What the-!" Naruto shouted. It was a tongue! It lifted him up in the air and soon he was face to face with a giant toad.

"WHO DARES SUMMON ME IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!" The toad yelled. "THAT FOOL JIRAIYA DID, DIDN'T HE? WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT PITFUL EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN I'LL-!"

"Hey, Toady! Could you stop yelling?" The toad stared at Naruto.

"PEST! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!" The toad cried. "I AM THE CHIEF TOAD, GAMA BUNTA! AND WHO ARE YOU?"

"Naruto." The demon container replied, wiping the toad's spit off him. "Don't yell at me, okay. Just go crush that perveted geezer, Jiraiya."

"Yes…I have a thing or two to say to him." Gama mumbled. "Summoning me here and leaving me with a boy…"

"I summoned you." Naruto stated. Gama stared at him. A smiled formed on the toad's face. He burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! THAT'S RICH! HOW COULD A BUG LIKE YOU SUMMON ME? The chief toad roared with laughter.

"Keep laughing, and I boil your sorry ass and feed you to Chouji, our resident fatass." Naruto growled. Gama stopped laughing and looked at him.

"Heh. You're bold. And you've got guts." The toad smirked. "I like that. I suppose I'll let you be my henchman." The toad dropped the boy on his head.

"What now?" Naruto asked.

"We are going to say hello to a certain pervert I know very well." Gama growled.

"Sounds good." Naruto growled, already thinking up horrible torture to use on the toad sannin. The chief toad launched into the air and out of the canyon, with Naruto holding on for dear life.

X.X.X

Shikamaru yawned. It was hard to block out the chatter of the many people who were crowded in front of the hokage's tower. Almost everyone in the village had come to welcome and greet the legendary slug sannin, Tsunade. He really didn't see what the big deal was. I mean come on, slugs didn't sound that amazing.

The boy yawned again. Lately, he hadn't been getting much sleep. He had been having strange nightmares lately, almost every night. He would wake up after a nightmare, covered in sweat and the curse mark would be burning. He knew the mark was the cause.

Beside him stood Hinata and Anko. They were here with the rest of the genin cells. Sasuke was standing there trying to ignore Sakura. Ino was chatting with Chouji and Kiba about something. Shino stood there, proving once and for all he had no personality. Lee was also there with Neji, Tenten, and Gai. Lee was on crutches and looked miserable, but Shikamaru was glad that the taijutsu nin was able to stand up. The boy didn't really like his stay in the hospital. He glanced at a watch one of the villagers were wearing. It was four o'clock.

"I can't find Naruto." Hinata sighed, deactivating her Byakugan.

"Why even search for him?" Shikamaru asked. "I'm sure he's fine."

"But I haven't seen him since the exams." Hinata insisted.

"I have. He's doing fine, so don't worry about it." Shikamaru sighed.

"You knew where he was and didn't tell us?" Anko smiled sweetly. Shikamaru became nervous.

"Hey! Look over there!" Yelled a villager.

"Is it her?"

Sure enough, Shikamaru and the rest saw a beautiful, busty blond haired woman walking towards them. Behind her was a woman with short brown hair holding a pig wearing a red jacket. The crowd grew quiet as they watched the blond haired woman walk up and hug the hokage.

"It's good to see you again, Tsunade." Sarutobi smiled.

"Good to see you too sensei." The woman smiled. She released him and looked around. "So…where's the perv and the kid?"

"Jiraiya should be arriving here with Naruto shortly." The hokage assured.

"TSUNADE! MY BIG-BREASTED TEAMMATE, HOW ARE YOU!?"

"And here he is." Tsunade muttered. Her fist twitched.

She, the hokage, and the villagers turned to see the legendary toad sannin walking towards them with a baby in his arms and an ANBU wearing a tiger mask. Jiraiya opened his arms for a hug, but shrank back when he saw the look the super strong woman was giving him. He smiled sheepishly at her. Some of the villagers broke out in whispers. None of them had heard that Jiraiya would be arriving as well.

"How have you been?" Jiraiya asked the woman.

"Good I guess." Tsunade shrugged. "What's with the kid?"

"She's my student's daughter."

Tsunade turned to the hokage. "How old is this student?"

"Fourteen." The hokage sighed.

"It's a long story." Yamato smiled behind his mask.

"I don't want to know." Tsunade said shaking her head. She looked around again. "Where's the kid?"

Yamato paled behind his mask. He looked at Jiraiya. He also had a nervous expression.

"Y-You mean Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

"If that's his name, then yes." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Where is he?"

"Daddy?" Anna asked looking around. "Where…daddy?"

"Yes Jiraiya, where has the boy gotten to?" The hokage asked curiously.

"Heh heh…funny story about that…" Jiraiya chuckled weakly.

"Jiraiya…where is he?" Tsunade asked threateningly.

"Daddy…" Tears started to well up in Anna's eyes. The toad sannin started to panic.

"N-No! Don't cry Anna! Naruto is fine!" Jiraiya stammered. It was too late. The girl started sobbing loudly.

"DAA-DDY!" Anna wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tsunade glared at Jiraiya as he tried his best to comfort the distraught child.

Everyone was watching the spectacle with mild fascination. Shikamaru, Hinata, and Anko recognized Anna right away. Naruto never went anywhere without her, so where was he. They noticed Yamato looked extremely nervous, despite the fact he was wearing a mask. Shikamaru winced at Anna's wails. Where was Naruto?

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the village. All the villagers looked around, startled. Even Anna was silenced for the moment. She looked around in mild fear.

"What was that?" Tsunade gasped. Her eyes widened and she turned towards her teammate. "Jiraiya…"

"Well, I was teaching him the art of summoning. "Jiraiya said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Summoning toads, mind you. And I think he must have…"

A giant toad crashed down in front of the hokage and the two sannin, cracking the pavement beneath it. Jiraiya stared up at the toad.

"C-Chief Gama Bunta??" Jiraiya said in astonishment.

"Don't tell me…" Tsunade whispered.

"That Naruto…" Yamato muttered.

"Summoned the chief toad?" The hokage finished, also in a state of shock.

"Daddy!" Anna exclaimed happily. Everyone looked up to see a boy with blond hair sitting on top of the giant toad. He hopped down from the creature's head and landed in front of Jiraiya. He snatched Anna out of his hands and glared at him.

"Glad to see you're still alive." Jiraiya smiled. Naruto kicked him in the shins.

"You threw me off a cliff!" Naruto yelled. "I almost died!"

"You did what!" Tsunade gasped. She turned to the brown haired woman. "Shizune, could you leave for a moment? I have something I need to talk about with him." The girl nodded and scurried off with the pig. The slug sannin glared at Jiraiya.

"It was a training exercise!" Jiraiya whined, rubbing his shin.

"I'm so glad you are alright, Naruto-kun." Yamato sighed in relief.

"And you just stood there and watched." Naruto glared, pointing at the ANBU. Yamato bowed his head, feeling guilty.

"Daddy…" Anna smiled, snuggling into his chest. Naruto grinned as he hugged her softly. He noticed a new face.

"Who's this?" Naruto asked, turning to Tsunade.

"She will be helping you in your training Naruto." The hokage smiled. "This is my student, Tsunade.

Naruto looked her up and down. He glanced at Jiraiya for a moment and then looked back at the woman.

"How old are you?" Naruto asked.

"W-What?"

"If you're Ero-sensei's teammate, shouldn't you be over sixty." He arched an eyebrow at her. "You sure don't look like you could be an old lady."

"What did you say!?" Tsunade cried indignantly.

"So then I can call you Baa-chan?" Naruto asked innocently.

"N-Naruto. Don't disrespect her." Jiraiya cautioned.

"What if I do?" Naruto asked.

The boy's eyes widened. He jumped backwards just as a fist struck where he was a second before. A large crater was left from the impact. Naruto raised his eyebrows at the seething Tsunade. She was strong! He took off in the other direction. Tsunade chased after him.

"Hey! I'm holding a child! Lay off!" Naruto yelled as he dodged another punch.

Jiraiya chuckled at the scene. It was rare to see someone work up Tsunade this much. Sure she had a short temper, but it never was like this. He watched them with amusement.

"Jiraiya."

The mentioned paled. He looked up at the large toad that had almost been forgotten. Gama Bunta glared down at him.

"Sorry about this…" Jiraiya smiled, hoping not to anger the toad.

"It's fine I suppose." The chief replied. This shocked Jiraiya, but he didn't question the toad's calmness. "The boy has spunk, take good care of him."

"Jiraiya smiled. "You got it." The toad disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The crowd of villagers were chatting amongst themselves. They were all surprised that the demon boy they all hated had summoned the chief toad, and even more so that he knew two of the three legendary sannin. Naruto suddenly become the topic of all their conversations.

The genin cells just stared at the demon container outrunning the slug sannin. They all had looks of astonishment on their faces. Anko wanted to run out there and join in Tsunade's attempt to punch the living daylights out of the demon container. Hinata held her back, worrying for Naruto's safety. Shikamaru just shook his head.

"Everything happens to him when we're not around." Shikamaru sighed.

X.X.X

Naruto lay against the crook tree, breathing and panting heavily. Anna sat in his lap, fast asleep.

The day had finally arrived. The day of the final test of the chunin exams. Naruto was so glad it all was going to end soon. Even if he didn't become a chunin, he would never take part in the test ever again. He had so many close calls with this whole ordeal and it all pushed him even further off the deep end. He had changed so much. He didn't like it, and he was sure the people around him weren't comfortable with it either.

The month had gone by quickly, but it had been hard. Jiraiya and Tsunade's training may have been worse than Anko's! They probably just wanted revenge on Naruto for calling them Ero-sensei and Baa-chan all the time. The grueling training sessions didn't stop his ridicule though.

Aside from his teasing, the two sannin were unbelievably good at fighting. Then again, they were sannin. The two focused on building his endurance and chakra control. Naruto kept a low profile before the two sannin started training him. Now, he couldn't even go to the Ichiraku ramen stand. His days consisted of him waking up at the crack of dawn, going to the canyon where he had summoned Gama Bunta, and training until it got dark. A few times, he had to leave Anna with the hokage. He did learn a lot though. Both of his sensei taught him new tricks that he loved.

Tsunade was his guidance when it came to chakra control. The woman could gather up large amounts of chakra and release it all in a single burst, causing immediate death to anyone or anything she hit. Thanks to her gather and release form of chakra control training, Naruto's bloodline increased in power. He could double his chakra output for double the beatdown on his opponents. The chakra control exercises also helped perfect the Chakra Net. Jiraiya taught him all kinds of jutsus and techniques. When he was fighting, the old pervert was a force to be reckoned with. Naruto had gotten his ass whipped so many times by the toad sannin it wasn't even funny. The man had taught him a interesting move called the Rasengan. It was a powerful move, but hard to master. Naruto had taken great interest in perfecting the move after Jiraiya had told him the Yondaime used it. If the fourth had used it, Naruto had no doubt that it was powerful.

Naruto had been a little bit more relaxed despite the training and the changes. It was because he felt he had a safe sense of security if the Kyuubi tried to take control of him. The Chakra Net would restrain the Kyuubi, so he didn't have to worry about him anymore. He had researched it more thoroughly after Yamato had taught him how to use it. He had mastered it completely. He had never tried it for real yet, but he had practiced by gathering huge amounts of chakra in his hands and unleashed it all as a barrage of chakra bullets using Chakra Shot. Now, he felt like he was able to take a few risks without bad consequences following thereafter.

Naruto looked down when he heard Anna moan. She blinked a few times and stretched her tiny arms. She rested her hands in between her legs and looked up at her father. She smiled at him. She opened her mouth and pointed.

Naruto sighed. He knew what this form of sign language meant. She wanted food. It was true that they hadn't eaten breakfast and it had been a while since he had eaten at Ichiraku's. Naruto smiled and stood up. Nothing sounded better than a few dozen bowls of steaming hot ramen before the chunin exam finals.

X.X.X

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Ayame chirped as Naruto sat down. "It's been a while since you've eaten here. Been busy?"

"Very." Naruto replied. "I'll have the usual."

"And for the little lady?" She asked looking at Anna.

"Same thing, but don't put anything in but the noodles."

"You could have just asked for chicken noodle soup." Ayame giggled.

"Whatever."

"I hear the chunin exams finals are toady." Ayame said. "Did you make it to the finals Naruto?"

"Yeah." Naruto said distractedly. Anna was squirming in his lap. He wrapped one arm around her to keep her in place.

"Really? That's great!" Ayame smiled. "It must have been pretty hard to pass the first two exams!"

"You have no idea." Naruto mumbled to himself.

When he thought about it, it seemed like a miracle he and his team made it out of the forest alive. The first test was cake, the second exam was the one he had hated. Other than the Kyuubi, things had gotten really screwed up in that forest. Shikamaru got that curse seal from Hachibi. Naruto silently wondered how his friend was holding up with that thing. Kabuto had said that it had an entity of its own and that it called the user to Orochimaru. Did the Nara have voices in his head beckoning him to come and serve the demon who had cursed him? Or did he have the same problem as Naruto himself, some beast-like in the back of his mind that threatened his very mind and soul? The boy didn't show any signs of pain or strain, so Shikamaru was probably alright. The bastard was so lazy he probably wouldn't even notice the pain.

Other than the curse mark, Naruto had labeled himself as a killer in the eyes of his former friends. He had also labeled Haku a killer as well and her teammates demon sympathizers. He knew that Neji, Tenten, Lee, and the others genin he had become friends with all hated and feared him because he had lost control. Yet another problem that had been created because of his own weakness and anger.

Lastly, there was the container of the one tailed demon, Shukaku, Gaara from sand country. Naruto knew that after he beat Neji he would have to fight the boy that was almost like a mirror image of himself. A portal that took him back to the time where he had be isolated and alone, without friends like he had now. He was afraid of the battle to come. He knew from watching the Shukaku container's battle with Lee that the auburn haired boy already had problems with his demon. Kankuro had said during that fight that, "it was awake". He had been referring to the Shukaku. Naruto could tell the boy had gone through Partial Shift. But there were no abnormal features he noticed on Gaara except for the black around his eyes. It didn't make any sense to him. The boy already had an extremely weak grip on his demon. Kankuro spoke like the boy had gone through Partial Shift many times before. So why didn't the Shukaku take control? It was a question Naruto wanted to know the answer to, but couldn't figure out. It was the same way with a lot of crap that had been happening lately.

Screw it. Naruto would ask about it when they fought. He grinned as a big bowl of ramen was placed before him. A smaller bowl of soup with noddles inside was placed next to it. Naruto placed Anna on the counter and scooped up a spoonful of soup from her bowl. The girl opened her mouth for Naruto. The teen sighed as the breeze swept through his hair.

"I forgot my headband at the hill."

X.X.X

Naruto made his way through the forest, headed towards his hill. He propped Anna on his hip. She was idly sucking on her thumb as she looked around.

The demon container knew that he probably shouldn't be walking right now. He should be running. The chunin exams started in less than a half hour and if he was even one second late he would be disqualified. He shouldn't have taken off his headband. But dammit, it was hot and with all the sweat on his forehead his headband had felt itchy and uncomfortable. He had to take it off!

Naruto raised his eyebrows as a humming sound broke his train of thought. It was someone's voice. Anna started to hum along to the tune. Naruto's eyes narrowed. No one but he and his team knew about the hill. So that must mean…

"Hello Naruto." Hinata smiled as the boy stepped out of the bush. His eyes widened.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I wanted to come here before the chunin exams started." Hinata replied. "This place brings back memories. Plus, I haven't been here in such a long time. I felt like I needed to come here. And I found you." The girl smiled at him.

"Mommy." Anna waved.

"Hinata." Naruto sighed.

"Hinata." Anna smiled. Naruto shook his head.

"Are you looking for this?" Hinata asked, holding up his Konoha headband.

"Yeah, so could you hand that over?" Naruto asked. "I've got somewhere I need to be."

"…Have you been okay?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

Naruto looked down. He made his way up the hill and sat next to his friend. He set Anna down next to him.

"Hasn't been the best, but I've been better." Naruto replied as he stared at the clouds. "How are you and the other two doing?"

"We're doing fine." Hinata smiled. "Shikamaru and I have been training. Anko works him very hard because of the chunin exams. He hopes it'll stop after the exam ends."

"The curse mark?"

"Nothing." Hinata said hugging her knees. "It doesn't seem to be doing anything. It doesn't hurt him as often as it used to and there are no side effects. Do you think it doesn't work?"

"I'm not sure. If something is wrong he does a good job hiding it." Naruto sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Look…I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. It's just that…"

"I-I know you've needed some time alone." Hinata said quietly. "Things have been quite hectic, haven't they?"

"Yeah." Naruto sighed.

"I heard a rumor that you trained with Tsunade and Jiraiya. Is it true?" Hinata asked curiously.

"It's true. Ero-sensei and Baa-chan are strong, good sensei." Naruto said. "Helped me deal with the fur ball a bit."

"How so?"

"New move. Being able to mold chakra helps." Naruto shrugged.

"Did you really summon that giant frog?" Hinata asked, remembering that day in front of the hokage's tower.

"That was an accident." Naruto said.

"Lots of stuff has happened to you these past few weeks." Hinata said softly.

"I hate it." Naruto sighed. "I miss the days where it was just me, you, and Shikamaru. Coming out here, lying down, watching the clouds go by…even the training the Kyuubi made me do…this place is a cruel reminder that things will never be the same…"

Hinata remained silent. The two sat there, simply looking up at the clouds and remembering what it was like before everything went crazy. Indeed, nothing would ever be the same again. So much had happened in so little time.

"You had better get going." Hinata spoke up. Naruto sat up. "The chunin exam starts in a few minutes."

Naruto's eyes widened. How long had he stayed? He picked up Anna and handed her to Hinata.

"Could you take care of her while I'm fighting?" Naruto asked.

"I'd be glad to." Hinata smiled. "We'll be rooting for you."

"You do know that I'm fighting Neji, right?" Naruto said arching an eyebrow.

"Go easy on him." Hinata said seriously.

"Fine, fine." Naruto waved his hand. He turned around and made a few hand signs.

"Naruto." Hinata said to his back. "You don't have to shoulder this burden by yourself. If you need any help, ask me. I'll always be willing to help."

"Shikamaru said something similar to me." Naruto said. A small smile was plastered on his face. He disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

X.X.X

The stadium was full of people. Everyone, even people from other villages, came to see the final exam. Hinata was shocked to see so many people in one place. She wondered how everyone could fit in such a small place. She had arrived only moments ago. She looked around for an open seat. Anna was in her arms, looking around with wide eyes as this was the first time she had seen anything like this.

"Hinata!"

The yelled to jumped at the call. The Hyuuga heiress turned her head and smiled at who had addressed her. Sakura was waving her hand frantically in the air, shouting to the young girl. Ino sat next to her trying to get her to shut up. Kiba sat next to Ino, trying to get her to shut up. Chouji sat beside the dog nin, stuffing himself with potato chips as he waited for the event to start. Tenten glared at him as the crunching noises were starting to get on her nerves. Hinata smiled. She was glad the girl was feeling better. She was also glad when she spotted Lee and Gai sitting in the row behind the five genin. A pair of crutches leaned against the seat next to Lee. The boy's left arm and leg had casts. At least he could be here to see this. Kurenai and Asuma sat in the row in front of them all simply talking as they waited for the tournament to begin.

"Hey there Hinata."

Hinata turned around to see who had addressed her. She smiled when she saw it was Anko who had greeted her. The assassin was smiling down at her young student.

"Hello, Anko-sensei." Hinata bowed.

"Don't be so formal kid." Anko chuckled. She pointed behind her. "Look who I found by the entrance gate."

Hinata tilted her head to the side a bit so she could see whom Anko was talking about. There was a boy who looked around the age of sixteen wearing a mist ninja headband over one of his eyes. He wore brown cargo pants and a simple white T-shirt. The other man was taller. He wore gray pants and a blue shirt with ripped sleeves, showing off his gray arms that looked very muscular. A cloth covered his face, only revealing his eyes and the top of his head. Hinata's eyes widened.

"Zabuza? Issac?" Hinata said in astonishment.

"I'm flattered. You remembered my name!" Issac smiled.

"Long time no see." Zabuza chuckled.

"What are you two doing here?" Hinata asked. Then she remembered Haku telling her, Naruto, and Shikamaru about Wave becoming allies with Konoha. She looked at them curiously. "Are you…"

"Wave is now officially an ally of Konoha." Issac smiled. "Mr. Tenju would have come here to negotiate instead of me, but he had to take care of the others and he felt it was my duty as head of the Wave protection unit."

"Wave protection unit?" Hinata asked.

"I think Haku told you about it once. It's a small ninja force she and Zabuza made to help defend Wave and other villages. It was actually pretty easy to convince the hokage and the elders to agree on the peace treaty. They are already talking about sending a few soldiers over to Wave."

"That's wonderful." Hinata beamed. "It is good to see you again."

"Likewise." Issac smiled.

"We were supposed to leave a few weeks ago, but we decided to stick around for the chunin exams." Zabuza said. "I was pretty surprised that our entire team made it to the finals." The man looked towards the center of the stadium where the genin were standing.

"They all worked hard it's no surprise." Issac smiled. "I'm also happy that Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun made it to the finals."

"So am I." Hinata agreed. Issac's eyes widened as he looked down at the girl in her arms.

"Is that…?"

"Yes, this is Anna." Hinata smiled. Anna waved at the boy. "Naruto has been taking good care of her."

"Wow. I was worried that she might be mistreated, but she looks healthy, and happy." Issac smiled. "I'll have to thank Naruto for Tenju when I see him again."

"Okay, enough chit chat." Anko ordered. "Let's sit down so Sakura can stop shouting. Besides, the brat just showed up." The four made their way to the seats Sakura had saved for them.

X.X.X

"Well, it's about time you showed up." Said a man with a toothpick wedged in between his teeth. He stared down at the blond boy who just appeared.

"Hey, I'm not late, right?" Naruto pointed out.

"No…" The man said looking at his watch. "A few more seconds and you might have been."

"Can you stop complaining and get on with the tournament?" Naruto asked rudely.

"Whatever." The man turned away from the boy and overlooked the rest of the genin. "Hello. I am Shiranui Genma, proctor of the third and last test of the chunin exams. I'll make this simple, the rules are the same as the preliminaries in the forest tower. If one of you dies or acknowledges your own defeat, that person loses. I'll also step in if I decide on a clear winner. Now…" The man took our a small folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and showed it to the genin. "In case you don't remember, this is who you will be fighting agains. So, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji stay down here. The rest of you go upstairs to the balcony." Genma pointed to a door away from the spectators. "Now, let's get this show on the road." He raised his hand and turned towards the balcony high above the village spectators.

"Everyone! Welcome to the final test of the chunin exams!" A voice boomed from intercoms located in different places around the stadium. Naruto recognized it to be the voice of the hokage. "We will now start the first round of this tournament!" Neji and Naruto stood opposite to each other while the rest of the genin went upstairs. Naruto and Neji glared at each other.

"**ROUND 1: Uzumaki Naruto vs Hyuuga Neji."**

"You may begin." Genma announced. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Loud speakers." Naruto said, twirling his pinky inside his ear. He raised an eyebrow at Neji. The boy had taken a fighting stance and was glaring down his opponent. At closer inspection, Naruto could tell his hands were shaking ever so slightly. The blond boy sighed.

"You don't have to be afraid of me." Naruto said.

"Shut up!" Neji snarled. "You've lied to everyone! Acting like someone your not! I can never forgive you for what you did…you hurt Hinata…and so much more!"

The boy charged towards Naruto. The demon container's face was grim.

"Yes. I lied. But even if I had told you would it have made a difference?" Naruto asked. "Would you still be my friend, or would you shun me like the others?"

"Shut up!" Neji shouted. He thrust his palms forward, aiming for Naruto's heart.

"I don't know what you mean by acting like something I'm not." Naruto said. "Would you rather have me act like someone else? Like the Kyuubi perhaps?" He blocked Neji's thrust. Naruto's leg shot upwards and hit Neji's chin, making the boy stagger and hop back.

"You…" Neji seethed. Blood dripped down his chin.

"Do you want me to kill innocents? Destroy an entire village because I feel like it?" Naruto continued. Veins appeared around Neji's eyes.

"SHUT UP!" Neji roared.

He rushed at Naruto again. The demon container sighed and also dashed towards his opponent. Neji's eyes widened at Naruto's speed. The boy was suddenly underneath him. Naruto punched Neji in the stomach. Making the boy couched up a bit of blood. Naruto twisted and delivered a roundhouse kick to his side. Neji was quick enough to block this time, but the blow did make him slide back a few feet. The Hyuuga clutched his bruising arm.

"How would you like me to act, Neji?" Naruto asked. "How can I make things go back to normal? You knew I had the fox in me before that incident in the forest, so why don't you trust me anymore?"

"I did trust you." Neji growled. "That night on the rooftop. I was hostile towards you because of the Kyuubi. From what you said, I thought that maybe I could change my fate and that I could trust you. Eventually, I almost forgot you had a demon inside you. I thought I could ignore the fact that there was more to you than meets the eye. But that day in the forest I learned my trust was misplaced. Your true nature was revealed and I found out how much of an effect the Kyuubi had on you. You're a monster. A ruthless, demonic monste-"

Neji was interrupted when Naruto's fist connected with his face. Neji jumped backwards, holding the side of his face. Naruto glared at him.

"What did I say about calling me a monster?" Naruto said rubbing his fist. "I'm not a monster. I'm not the Kyuubi no Yoko. I am Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha ninja. I admit that I have change and have done some terrible things by my own hand. But the thing that keeps me from being driven off the deep end is that I have friends who care about me. I declare, right now, that I am not the Kyuubi. Don't treat me like I'm the fur ball. Treat me like I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Neji stared at the boy with wide eyes. The Hyuuga chuckled.

"Sorry." Neji said. "I'll try to forget that you don't have a demon inside your body again."

"Let's finish this then." Naruto said. He rushed forward and kicked Neji full force in the chest. The boy flew backwards and landed on the ground. The boy coughed and felt his chest.

"I think you broke a few ribs." Neji whispered.

"Sorry 'bout that." Naruto smiled. "But it looks like I won the bet."

"…What?"

"The bet we made. The next time we fight, if I win, you have to work to change the Hyuuga clan. Get that seal off your forehead and live as your own man."

"Heh…I'll do it." Neji smiled. He blacked out a fell into unconsciousness.

There was silence. Then there were cheers. Naruto looked up at the crowd to see everyone cheering for him. He was shocked at this display, but simply smiled at went along with it. Naruto retreated towards the stairs.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto." Genma called out as some medic nin took Neji away. He looked at Naruto's retreating back.

"Guess we were all wrong about you kid."

X.X.X

"That boy…never ceases to amaze me." Sarutobi said, his eyes twinkling.

"He's one of a kind." Yamato smiled from beside the hokage. He had been chosen as the old man's personal guard for the exams. The Kazekage sat next to them with his own personal guards. The man simply stared down at the stadium.

"What did you think of that battle, lord Kazekage?" Sarutobi asked turned to the sand kage.

"It was…interesting…" The man said.

"Wasn't it?" the hokage smiled. "I do believe that you'll enjoy the next one. It's Sasuke versus your Gaara."

"…Sasuke isn't here…"

"…What?"

X.X.X

"YEAH! ALRIGHT NARUTO!" Kiba yelled, hopping up and down in his seat.

"Shut up mutt!" Ino said, trying to get the dog nin to calm down.

"Ah, the flames of his youth are bright!" Gai complimented.

"Naruto-kun!" Lee cheered. Tenten and Sakura were clapping while Chouji was stuffing chips in his mouth fanatically. Asuma and Kurenai smiled.

"That was amazing!" Issac exclaimed.

"He sure made quite the impact." Zabuza commented.

"He has that gift." Anko smirked.

"Good job, Naruto." Hinata smiled. Anna was clapping and shouting in her lap. The Hyuuga heiress frowned as some loud yapping overwhelmed their voices. She turned towards the barking Akamaru.

"Settle down boy. Geez, what's wrong with you?" Kiba growled.

"What's wrong with him?" Ino asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Ah, saying something about snakes and what not. I knew I shouldn't have fed him _that_…"

Hinata's eyes widened. She looked around frantically. Some ANBU were sitting in the crowd.

"Why are they here?" She whispered.

Behind her, Anko's eyes narrowed. Her hand touched her neck.

"I've got a bad feeling…"

X.X.X

"Congratulations, Naruto." Haku smiled as the boy entered stepped off the stairs and onto the balcony where the genin participates were spectating. Everyone nodded at him in greeting.

"Thanks." Naruto said. He peered over the edge of the railing. "So who's next."

"Sasuke and Gaara." Saki answered. Naruto glanced at the sand nin standing in between his siblings. Naruto jumped when he noticed the boy had been staring at him.

"The Uchiha doesn't seem to be here." Shikamaru commented. "Doesn't that mean he gets disqualified."

"This is unlike him…" Shino said aloud. "He is very strict when it comes to being on time. For what possible reason could he be late…"

"Hey! Could Aburame Shino and Kankuro please come down here for their match?" Genma called from below.

"Was Sasuke disqualified?" Naruto yelled back.

"No. We're going to wait an hour to see if he shows up. Until then, we will continue with the next match."

"I forfeit!" Kankuro announced. Genma's eyes widened. Many cries of protest came from the crowd. Naruto eyed the sand nin boy. Why would he forfeit his match like that? Shino wasn't _that _creepy. Shino himself looked appalled at Kankuro's announcement.

"Uh…okay?" Genma said, recovering from his shock. "Then will Temari and Nara Shikamaru come down here for their match?"

A strong wind swept through the balcony. Temari had unfolded her giant fan and floated down to the arena. She smashed her fan down on the ground and glared at Shikamaru who stared lazily back.

"Well? Hurry up!" Temari commanded.

"Hm…maybe I'll forfeit too…" Shikamaru said. He suddenly felt his body being pushed forward. His eyes widened.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"Had to do it." Naruto shrugged as he returned his hands to his pockets. Everyone stared at him weirdly.

X.X.X

"Shikamaru lay on his back, staring at the girl who was his opponent. Dammit, why did he always have to fight a chick? Some trash was thrown at him from the crowd above. Everyone was booing at him, unimpressed with his appearance and entrance. He'd get Naruto for this. Genma raised his hand, signaling the battle had begun. The shadow manipulator slowly rose to his feet.

"Well, looks like we're up." Temari smirked. "This match will be cake. That shadow possession technique is useless against me. I've analyzed it and figured out how it works. You can't win."

"I didn't plan to." Shikamaru yawned. "Man, I could really use a nap right now…"

"Take this!" Temari shouted. She swept her fan forward, sending slashing and cutting winds Shikamaru's way. The boy sighed and made a few hand signs. The ground exploded from underneath him.

"Tch. It's a wonder how he got this far." Temari scoffed as she refolded her fan. "That wasn't even a match."

"What a troublesome woman you are."

Temari's eyes widened. She turned around to see Shikamaru standing there with a smirk upon his face. For some reason, that look really pissed her off!

"It's not my style to hit a girl." Shikamaru shrugged. "So I'll just stick to shadow manipulation. Let's see who hits who first." Temari glared at him and swung her fan forward. Shikamaru jumped back and hid in the bushes.

"First things first." The boy muttered as he watched the girl look around for him. "I've got to figure out her fighting style. She's a long range fighter, no doubt, so it might be hard reaching her with shadow possession. Let's see if I can catch her off guard." The boy darted behind another tree, trying to get out of the girl's eyesight.

Temari looked around frantically. She didn't know where the kid had hidden. If he got her with shadow possession it would be all over for her. She looked at the ground, scanning it very carefully. Look for a shadow…

There!

A trail of blackness was coming at her from the left. She hopped backwards but the shadow just kept on coming. She stopped. She couldn't get away fast enough. Temari's eyes widened. The shadow stopped right in front of her. She sighed in relief. Her eyes followed the trail of shadow until she spotted the Nara standing beneath a tree.

"Damn." Shikamaru muttered.

"Ha! Is that all you've got?" Temari laughed. "What a useless technique!"

Shikamaru cursed. This girl was smart. Now that his first attempt failed, she could avoid his shadow more easily since she would have no doubt thought out where his shadow would end. He'd have to stall and wait for the sun to lengthen his shadow so he could-

"…_**She's annoying…"**_

Shikamaru's eyes widened. Who said that?

"…_**She thinks she knows where the shadow ends…she thinks she knows where there is no darkness…darkness always spreads..always grows...even if you try and stop it…there is no stopping the shadow from spreading…"**_

Shikamaru cried out in pain. His head was hurting and his arm was burning. Temari arched an eyebrow at the boy's outburst. What was his problem?

"…_**Show her…how far the shadow can reach…"**_

Shikamaru's shadow started to wave. Temari looked down at it curiously. It was like a wiggling tentacle. She glared at the Nara. What was he up to?

A squishing noise was heard.

Temari's eyes widened. She yelled as she felt something stab through her right shoulder. The object seemed to sink deeper and deeper into her flesh.

Shikamaru's stared ahead. A long black needle had shot up from his shadow and stabbed through Temari's shoulder. The spike was still connected to his shadow, and it seemed like it was moving deeper into her shoulder. If it grew any longer, that black thing would go right through her entire shoulder!

Shikamaru closed his eyes. The curse seal was spreading like a flame over his skin. He had to contain it! If he didn't, that girl would be in even more trouble than she already was.

He felt the flame subsiding. The burning pain was retreating. He shadow shrank back to him. Sweat ran down Shikamaru's brow. He looked up to see blood pouring down Temari's shoulder. Her arm was almost completely covered with blood. Genma raised his hand quickly.

"Winner is Nara Shikamaru!" He called. Temari sank to her knees.

Not a sound. Everyone and everything in the stadium was silent. Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!"

"IS THAT SOME NEW TECHNIQUE THE NARA CLAN MADE?"

"THAT KID IS REALLY STRONG!"

"HE'LL BECOME A CHUNIN FOR SURE!"

Shikamaru glared up at the crowd. Here was a girl almost bleeding to death and they were cheering for him? He didn't even do anything. Shikamaru felt guilt bubble up in his stomach. He made his way over to the girl. She glared up at him.

"I can't…believe…I lost…to you!" She hissed. She whimpered as the pain became unbearable.

"That was…quite a technique kid." Genma commented. "What is it?"

"May I go with her to the infirmary?" Shikamaru asked as the medic nin rushed towards them.

"Huh? But why?"

"Can I, or can I not?"

"I don't see a problem with it." Genma sighed. "Just be back in time for your next match." Shikamaru nodded and followed the medic nin who carried Temari away.

X.X.X

"T-Temari…" Kankuro uttered in complete shock.

Naruto stared down at the arena grimly. He knew Shikamaru wasn't capable of doing something like that. He saw the black crawling across his skin. It was the curse seal. What was up with that thing? Now he knew Shikamaru had a problem with it. He would have to have a serious talk with him later. For now, all he could do was wait until his next match.

Haku went up against Azrael next. The battle went on for about a half hour. Azrael spent most of his time dodging Haku's endless assault of Senbon needles. He eventually managed to catch Haku off guard and broke through her defense. But, it all turned out to be a trap when Haku sprung a trap that left the young boy immobile. He was carried away on a stretcher.

"Nice battle." Naruto said as Haku returned to the balcony.

"I feel a little bad about doing that to a teammate." Haku admitted.

Naruto looked back towards the arena. The two hour time limit was up. If Sasuke didn't show, then he would be disqualified. Naruto glanced at Gaara. Looks like he'd have the honor of facing down this boy first.

All of a sudden a gust of leaves and dust appeared in the center of the arena. The dust cleared and there stood Sasuke with his sensei, Kakashi. The boy had changed his clothes and his arms were covered in bandages. Naruto arched an eyebrow at the boy.

"Better late than never." Shino said aloud.

"Who are you?" Genma asked the newcomer.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The boy smirked. "Sorry if I'm a bit late."

"Tch. Whatever." Genma scoffed. Gaara made his way downstairs and to the arena. He stopped a few feet in front of Sasuke. The demon container had a sinister smile on his lips.

"This will be interesting." Naruto muttered. Genma started the match. Sasuke rushed towards his opponent.

X.X.X

Temari's eyes peeled open. She stared up at a white ceiling. She sat up and looked around. She was in bed at the infirmary. Her shoulder was wrapped in bandages.

"Glad to see you're up so soon."

Temari turned and was shocked to see the boy who had beaten her standing next to her bedside. The boy stared at her lazily.

"You!" Temari cried, pointing at him.

"It's rude to point at people." Shikamaru sighed. The girl glared at him.

"What do you want?" The girl growled. "Here to gloat about your victory?"

"No." Shikamaru sighed. "I want to apologize if I…hurt you…"

Temari's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that. Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. She turned her head.

"Hmph. What's all this about?" The girl scoffed. "You? Hurt me? Impossible."

"How troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. He sighed again. "Look. What happened back there…I didn't mean to. It was a complete accident. I don't know if I used the wrong technique or got carried away, but I'm sorry if I-"

"Oh, be quiet." Temari waved him off. "I lost, you won. Let's just leave it at that, okay?" She smirked at him. "But if you're willing to make amends for it, we'll tell everyone I beat you, okay?"

"How troublesome."

X.X.X

Naruto stared ahead with wide eyes. This match was proving to be the best one he had seen yet. Sasuke had copied Lee's fighting style and he was moving faster than lightning. He got around Gaara's sand with ease and was having an easy time beating on the demon container. It was quite enjoyable to watch.

But for some reason, he had a really bad feeling in his stomach. Lots of things were bugging him. Other than Shikamaru's curse mark problem, the blond demon container was curious about why Kankuro had thrown his match. Naruto was also wondering why there were so many ANBU in the crowd. All of this gave him a very uncomfortable feeling accompanied with the fact that even though he was taking a beating, Gaara was smiling throughout the entire match. Also, the ticking in the back of his head was really annoying.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. The ticking. It was out of control. He was probably just being paranoid, but he didn't think that Haku and Gaara could cause this much ticking. It was like a symphony in the back of his head. He flashed back to Shikamaru's curse mark going haywire. Naruto inched over to Haku.

"Hey." Naruto whispered. "Can you feel it?"

"Feel what?" Haku whispered back.

"The ticking. I may just be exaggerating but I think that only four demon containers in one spot can cause our radar to go crazy like this."

"I was thinking the same thing." Haku whispered. "Do you think he's here?"

"I'm not sure. I'm going to go tell my sensei. Think you can get Azrael to see how many ANBU are in that crowd?"

"I'll do it."

"Thanks." Naruto turned and walked towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Saki asked.

"To the bathroom." Naruto stated. He made his way downstairs and went down a corridor that led to where the villagers were. He overlooked the crowd until he spotted his sensei and the others. He made a hand sign and transformed into a random villager near the front row. He casually walked towards Anko.

Down below, the fight was getting pretty intense. Gaara had created a dome of sand and was currently residing inside of it. Sasuke stood on the wall, a ball of electricity was in his hand. He launched himself towards the dome. Naruto sat down beside Anko.

"Hey, Anko. It's me." Naruto whispered.

"What are you doing here, brat?" The woman whispered back.

"I think that the Hach- Orochimaru might be here somewhere. My demon sense in going crazy and why are there so many ANBU here?"

"I thought something was up. Thanks for the update." Anko whispered. "Look, go back to the balcony. I'll warn the hokage so he can-"

A loud crash was heard from above. The balcony where the hokage resided exploded. Naruto's eyes widened. A scream was heard. He looked back down at the arena to see Sasuke's arm inside the dome. He pulled his arm out of the dome and a huge, brown trunk-like thing followed after him. It retreated back inside the dome. Naruto's eye narrowed. The Shukaku was awake. He transformed back to his original self and hopped down to the arena. A pink gas floated down on the crowd. All the villagers fell asleep, falling victim to some sort of strange genjutsu. Only the ninja remained awake. Naruto landed beside Sasuke. Gaara's dome was beginning to crack and break. Sasuke shot a glance at Naruto.

"What's going on?" The Uchiha asked.

"Orochimaru is here." Naruto said.

"And the sand ninja are working with him!"

Naruto turned to see Yamato standing behind him, breathing hard. He had a deep cut in his side.

"The Kazekage turned out to be Orochimaru. The sand ninja and himself ambushed the hokage. They're attacking the village! We've been betrayed by the sand."

"How is the old man holding up?" Naruto asked.

"He and Orochimaru are battling. Some subordinates of his engaged our ninja, stopping us from aiding him. Apparently they don't want anyone interfering with Orochimaru's battle."

It all made sense. Naruto remembered the sand siblings' words back at the academy building before the first exam, why Kankuro had forfeited his match against Shino, and why his demon sense was ticking so much. Naruto clenched his fists. He was stupid not to realize it before. They needed a plan.

"Alright, here's what we'll do." Naruto said. "Tell Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Chouji, and Lee to clear out the infirmary and get everyone to safety. Yamato, you go find Ero-sensei and Baa-chan. We could really use their help right now. All the remaining ninja should stay to fight against Orochimaru and the sand ninja." Naruto looked towards the balcony where the genin where. Kankuro was currently fighting against Shino. A man who Naruto guessed to be Kankuro's sensei was fighting against Haku and Saki. Naruto nodded guess he didn't need to worry about them. He turned towards Sasuke. "Uchiha, I want you to find a guy with gray hair wearing glasses. You'll know him when you see him. He was that kid that went with us to the tower back in the forest."

"Kabuto?"

"Names are the minor details." Naruto said. "Get going!"

"What about him?" Yamato asked, gesturing towards Gaara. The dome had completely collapsed and Gaara stood there seeming to be in pain. Naruto glared at him.

"I'll take him on." Naruto growled. Sasuke and Yamato nodded. They disappeared. Naruto stared at his new opponent.

"So…this is it, right?" Naruto asked.

"You're…Naruto Uzumaki…" Gaara breathed. He cried out and clutched his head in pain. Around them, Naruto could hear the clashing, yelling, and fighting of the other ninja around them. The ticking in the back of his head was louder and faster than it had ever been. Naruto stared at his opponent. He took a battle stance.

"Are you gonna stand there groaning or are we gonna fight, Gaara, container of the one-tailed demon Ichibi no Shukaku." Naruto said. His chakra claws appeared around his fingers.

Gaara broke out into a sinister smile. The side of his face started to crack and his skin looked more tan than before.

"So, you are the container of the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko." Gaara hissed. "You…you will be destroyed…I will destroy you so I can live!"

"…What?"

"I live to kill! It is why I exist!" Gaara shouted. Drool dripped from his mouth and his teeth grew sharper. "I was born to be used as a weapon! My father, the Kazekage, trained me ever since I was small! He trained me until I bled! I was made to be the ultimate weapon! It was my father's way of showing he loved me…that is what I thought…but it was all for the demon inside me!"

"Ultimate weapon?" Naruto said quietly.

"But then everyone saw me as a threat…someone that need to be eliminated. My father started to send assassins after me. The villagers shunned and beat me. I felt so much misery. So much that I yearned for death. I've lost count of the many times I've attempted suicide…but they all end the same way. The Shukaku prevented me from doing so…"

Naruto looked at the boy sadly. He could see hate, fear, sadness, isolation, loneliness, and so much more in his eyes. Gaara was just like him…only he didn't have people who cared about him.

"So instead I found a different way of living!" Gaara cackled. "I kill. I appease the beast inside me and I feel like I'm serving a purpose…I feel alive…"

"So you kill innocent people?" Naruto said angrily.

"No…I only kill those who get in my way…or people who I want to kill." Gaara replied. "My reason for existence is to kill anyone who wants to kill me! And now…I want to kill you…kill you because you remind me so much of myself, Uzumaki Naruto. I will prove my existence by destroying you!"

Gaara let out a bloodcurdling scream. Naruto watched fearfully as the boy's body changed and grew. His skin turned brown and his arms changed into huge trunk-like claws. The boy grew a hammer-like tail and brown pointed ears. Gaara's face completely changed. He now looked like a beast with deep yellow eyes with black slitted pupils with a tear shaped iris around the pupil. Naruto stared at the beast.

"This is Complete Shift?" Naruto whispered. Was this going to happen to him if he let the Kyuubi take control? Would Gaara go back to normal? Naruto had no time to answer these questions. He dashed towards the transformed Gaara, yelling out a battle cry.

X.X.X

Shikamaru looked around frantically. He had heard a loud boom that had shaken the entire building. Temari also seemed to be on the alert. Her eyes widened.

"It's started." She whispered.

"Huh? What's started?" Shikamaru asked dumbly. The door burst open and Sakura rushed in.

"Shikamaru! Get everyone out of here now! The village is under attack!" Sakura yelled as she lifted a patient off one of the beds.

"Wait. Run that by me again?" Shikamaru said.

"The village is under attack!" Sakura almost screamed. "Orochimaru is here and the sand ninja are working with him! We need to get out of here and- You!"

Sakura pointed at Temari. The sand girl looked down. Shikamaru's eyes widened. He stared at the girl.

"It was our mission." Temari said quietly.

"How could you!" Sakura gasped. "People could die here! Do you have any regard for human life?"

"I'm going." Shikamaru said as he stood up. Sakura looked at him.

"What?"

"Naruto's out there fighting, I'm sure of that?" Shikamaru said. "So I'm going to help. As troublesome as it is, I won't let any of my friends get hurt." The Nara dashed out the door, heading for the stadium. His eyes narrowed.

"What a pain."

X.X.X

Anko slashed through a sound nin. She back kicked the one behind her. She tripped the one running towards her and stabbed the one that jumped at her. She smirked as she punched another enemy across the face.

"You seem to be enjoying this." Came a deep voice.

"Don't say it like you're not!" Anko yelled to Zabuza as she kicked another enemy.

"It has been a while since I've actually fought." Zabuza smirked as he tore through a ninja with bare hand. "I wish I didn't leave my sword back in Wave."

"Why didn't you take it with you?" Anko asked as she spewed fire at three sound ninja.

"That would be too suspicious. I'm not supposed to be Zabuza, remember?" He threw a few shuriken at some ninja that were rushing towards him. "How's the kid holding up?"

Anko looked towards the arena. One of Gaara's arms had been torn off. The boy was retreating towards the forest. Naruto followed after him at a great speed. Anko grinned.

"Doing just fine." She threw a kunai behind her, embedding it in a sand ninja's skull.

X.X.X

Hinata watched as Kiba and Ino carried some people out of the infirmary. She would have been able to help if she wasn't holding Anna. The girl was squirming in her arms and it was hard to keep her in place.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Anna called out for her father.

"It's okay. Naruto is safe. Just calm down." Hinata pleaded with the girl. The girl glared at Hinata and folded her arms.

"Daddy." She said firmly.

Hinata sighed. She was very demanding when it came to her father. Hinata was also worried about Naruto. She had seen him fighting against that Gaara kid who had transformed into a monster before Yamato had ordered her and the other genin to help the injured out of the infirmary. Hinata bit her bottom lip. She looked around. The hospital wasn't that full, so her absence shouldn't make much of a difference…

"I'm leaving!" Hinata announced, heading towards the door.

"What? Where are you going?" Ino demanded. "We need to get these people out of here!"

"Naruto's in trouble and I want to help him." Hinata stated, shocking Ino with her firmness. "Please, take care of things here."

"Wait! Hinata!" Kiba started. The girl was already out the door.

X.X.X

Shikamaru kicked another ninja off the roof. He gasped for breath. This was perfect. He had originally come to help Naruto fight, but then some sound ninja ambushed him and now he was fighting alongside a handful of jounin and ANBU who were trying to protect the hokage, who was inside a forest that seemed to appear out of nowhere on the roof. The hokage was somewhere inside those vines, locked in a heated battle against Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's men were strong. Very strong. Especially four that seemed to be just a little older than he was. Also each of them had a curse mark like he did.

One boy was a giant. He had grown a mane and had gotten more muscular. He was smashing through the Konoha ninja and snapping them like they were nothing more than toothpicks. Another boy with six arms had activated his curse mark and grew a third eye. He could shoot chakra-sucking webs for his mouth that made it easy for him to eliminate his opponents. The last two were twins that shared one body. They seemed to be able to infect their opponents and cripple them from the inside out. Shikamaru didn't know which of the four were more dangerous. He cut another ninja across the face.

Shikamaru was suddenly catapulted down to the arena where Naruto and Gaara had been fighting. He slammed down onto the ground. He coughed up some blood and clutched his side.

"Who kicked me?" Shikamaru coughed.

"Aw, what's the matter? Did I hurt you, asshole?"

Shikamaru looked up to see a girl with pink hair staring down at him. She wore a sound ninja uniform and a sound ninja headband. Shikamaru gingerly got to his feet.

"As an answer to your question, you did hurt me." Shikamaru groaned. "Who are you?"

"Tayuya." The girl smirked. "What's yours?"

"Shikamaru." He muttered. So this girl was fighting too? Why did he always have to fight women…

The girl took out a flute and raised it to her lips. She smirked. "Now, let's have a little fun." A black mark started to spread over her skin. Shikamaru's eyes widened. So she was like him…

"Let's get this over with. I need to help a friend." Shikamaru said, pulling out a kunai. A loud crash was heard. He turned around to see a giant, brown raccoon-like thing fighting against a giant toad. Shikamaru smirked. Maybe he didn't need to help him after all.

X.X.X

Naruto's legs shook as he struggled to keep standing. The fight had taken a lot out of him. He was glad the chief toad helped him or he would have been crushed by the fully transformed Shukaku. Naruto looked at Gaara who lied on the ground a few feet away. The boy coughed up some blood and glared at Naruto. He couldn't move.

"Why…how…what makes you so strong…?" Gaara croaked. Naruto shook his head.

"I don't know if you'd understand until you find something to fight for." Naruto panted.

"…………What?"

"I don't really know what I fight for though." Naruto sighed. "Maybe it's to protect my friends. Maybe I fight hard because I want to survive. Maybe I want others to acknowledge my existence. Or maybe I fight because I know the people who care about me will be sad if I die. I'm not sure, but I think you have something you can strive to protect, something that gives you a purpose and a reason to live. Maybe your siblings or your village can become your reason. Don't let the demon take control. Act how you want to act, not how the Shukaku wants you to act."

Gaara stared at him. Naruto could have sworn he saw a small smile graze the boy's lips.

"A reason…to live…" Gaara whispered. He closed his eyes, fading into unconsciousness.

Then there was a loud explosion. Naruto's eyes widened, energy suddenly rushed back to him. He noticed the explosion came from the stadium. Naruto remembered that the old man was still fighting Orochimaru. Naruto launched off in the direction of the stadium.

"Don't worry old man…I'm coming!"

X.X.X

Naruto landed on a rooftop that was covered with trees that were starting to wilt and disappear. Bodies lay scattered on the roof. The only ninja that remained were a few Konoha ninja that were fighting against three young ninja with black skin and abnormal features. One of the monster ninja had two heads. All the trees suddenly disappeared.

…Then he saw the hokage…

Naruto watched the hokage and Orochimaru standing at the center of the roof. Orochimaru's arms were turning purple and the hokage's back was bleeding. The old man suddenly fell forward and collapsed on the roof. Naruto's eyes widened and he shot towards the hokage's body, moving faster than anyone could see. Even the transformed sound ninja were surprised. Naruto knelt down and held the hokage in his arms.

"Hey! Hey! Old man! It's me!" Naruto shouted as he shook the old man. The hokage lay limp in his arms.

"…Old man…?" Naruto whispered. He shook the man a few more times. Naruto placed his hand on the man's heart. He felt no beat. He grabbed the man's hand. It was ice cold.

…The hokage…was dead…

Naruto shook his head. No. He couldn't believe it. The man who had cared for him ever since he was a baby was dead? This had to be a dream. He was like a father to Naruto. He couldn't just die…he couldn't die…

"Wake up…" Naruto whispered. Tears fell from his eyes, falling on the hokage's face.

"Wake up…" Naruto repeated. "Please…wake up. You can't die, old man…you can't…"

The despairing boy smiled as more tears rushing down his face. The three sound nin started to make their way towards him. The Konoha ninja stayed where they were, too shocked to move.

"You can't be dead…you can't be dead…you…can't…you…are…dead…" Naruto sobbed.

"**This is how cruel life can be…it's a sad thing how conflict can tear you away from your loved ones, isn't it?"**

Naruto looked up. He was in his mindscape, staring into the Kyuubi's bright red eyes. Tears still fell from Naruto's face.

"**Well? What are you waiting for?" **The Kyuubi asked. His eyes disappeared and the demon boy appeared in front of Naruto. He held out his hand and smiled, showing off his sharp, jagged teeth. **"Do you see what the Hachibi has done to you? He's taken away the man you considered a father since your early days. You're not going to let him get away with that…are you?"**

Naruto started to shake. He knew he shouldn't do it. He should use chakra net right now and escape. He had to. He started to gather up chakra in his hands.

"**You're not going to use Chakra Net on me, are you?" **The Kyuubi boy asked. Naruto looked up at him. The boy disappeared and the Kyuubi's red eyes appeared back inside the cage.

"**This time, let me fight him. I'll be sure to make that bastard experience every single bit of pain you are feeling and increase the pain by one hundred fold. **The Kyuubi smiled down at him. **"Face it, you're all alone. People see you as a monster…that old man was the only one that ever cared about you…kill the Hachibi…you want that don't you?"**

Naruto stood up and started to walk towards the cage. He wanted to stop, but he found that he couldn't. He put his hands on the bars, staring into the blackness. Naruto looked up at the Kyuubi's eyes.

"**Come…I'll make it all stop…make all the pain go away…get you your sweet, sweet revenge…"**

Naruto didn't care anymore. He just couldn't stand it anymore. He wanted it all to end. He didn't care about what happened to him. He wouldn't feel anything anymore. He would know the blissful embrace of death.

That was it. Naruto jumped into the cage. He floated there in the endless black void. Clawed hands started to close in around him.

"**I'll make it all stop…" **The Kyuubi purred. The claws cupped around Naruto. He faded into blackness.

X.X.X

"What's with this kid? He's not moving." Said the boy with six hands. His third eye overlooked the motionless blond before him.

"Maybe he's unconscious or something." Said one the heads on the twin headed ninja.

"He's still crying though." Said the other head.

"Let's crush him." The giant growled. The all closed in on Naruto.

"**RRRRRRWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" **Naruto roared, making the building shake blowing the sound ninja backwards. Orochimaru stayed in place, watching the spectacle in horror.

A red flame consumed Naruto. It rose up high in the air and scorched the dead bodies that lay near it. There was an ear splitting screech that broke windows and cracked rocks. Orochimaru took a few steps back in fear.

Then the flame disappeared. In it's place stood a boy. He stood over the hokage's dead body. He looked exactly like Naruto, but it wasn't Naruto. This boy had wild red hair and pale skin. His whisker mark were big and red, and his teeth were jagged and sharp. His fingernails ended in points and his clothes were the darkest form of black. The boy clenched and unclenched his fists. He looked up at Orochimaru, his red eyes and slitted pupils that had blue bordering them shot right through the snake ninja. The boy smiled sinisterly and threw his head back, laughing insanely.

"**I'M FREE! I'M FINALLY FREE!" **The boy cackled manically. He smiled at Orochimaru and took a step forward, burning the roof tiles that were beneath him.

"Protect lord Orochimaru!" The three sound nin said in unison as they hopped in front of the snake ninja. The boy smirked at them.

"**Bring it on…" **The boy smiled.

The twin-headed ninja dashed towards him. The two heads were suddenly grabbed and hoisted up in the air. The boy had one head in each hand. The boy laughed as he crushed the head with his hands. The twins' screams echoed throughout the village.

"Sakon! Ukon!" The giant yelled as his the two head were crushed and smashed. The boy dropped the bleeding body to the ground.

"Take this!" The giant shouted raising his fist. His chest felt wet. He looked down to see both of the boy's arms through his chest. The demon pulled his arms out of the giant's body as the juggernaut fell to the ground, dead. The boy looked around. The six armed one was nowhere in sight. Oh well. He turned his attention to Orochimaru who had been watching the boy tear apart his strongest ninja in stupefied horror.

"**You're next, Hachibi." **The boy smirked.

The Hachibi tried to defend himself, but the hokage had sealed his arms, preventing them from being used. He suddenly found himself slammed against a nearby wall, his face getting punched repeatedly by the boy.

"**This feels so GOOD!" **The boy laughed as he continued to punch the snake nin's face.

It hurt.

It hurt badly.

It hurt REAL badly.

The Hachibi took the each and every punch. His head was being pushed and crushed by the concrete wall behind him. He could feel his skull getting crushed by the force of the punches. It hurt so badly. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to do it.

Orochimaru felt it. He couldn't believe it. Orochimaru could actually feel these punches. The boy raised his fist, ready to end it. Orochimaru smiled, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"_The demon is gone…"_

That was his final thought. His last feeling. The feeling that his demon had finally left. The demon boy's fist was planted in the wall, right where Orochimaru's head used to be. The wall was splattered with blood. The headless body sank down to the ground in a crumpled heap. The great snake, Orochimaru, had left the world of the living.

The boy looked out towards the village. The fighting seemed to have ended. The few remaining Konoha nin stared at the boy in shock and fear. The boy's lips curled into a smile.

"**Now…to finish what I started all those years ago."** The boy smirked.

"Naruto!"

The boy's eyes widened. He turned to see a girl with white eyes standing on top of the roof not too far from him. A smaller girl was in her arms.

"Naruto? Is that you…?" Hinata asked.

"Daddy…?" Anna said quietly.

The boy smiled and turned towards the girls. He gathered chakra in the palms of his hands.

"**No. The Naruto you know is gone. I'm in control now. I'm going to finish what I started all those years ago before that foolish mortal stopped me." **He pointed his claws towards the girls. **"But I'll dispose of you first." **He took a menacing step towards them.

"Daddy…" Anna whimpered. Tears started to roll down her face. The boy cackled with mirth.

Then his laughing stopped abruptly. The boy frowned.

"**AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" **The boy screamed, clutching his head in pain. He fell down on his knees, shaking his head frantically. **"Impossible!"**

"Naruto?" Hinata whispered.

"**No! NO!" **The boy screamed. **"I don't want to go back! No! No! AAAAAAAHHH!"**

A red flame engulfed the boy's body. The flame died down as soon as it appeared. In the boy's place sat Naruto, looking the same as he always did. His face, however, was expressionless and void of emotion.

"Naruto!" Hinata called. The boy seemed not to hear her.

"GET HIM!"

Naruto was suddenly restrained and pushed down on the roof's surface and Konoha ninja jumped him. They tied his hands with rope and held their weapons to his neck. Naruto did nothing to stop them.

Hinata watched this with wide eyes. Anna was sobbing in her arms. What had happened to him? Was that Complete Shift? No…he didn't look like an animal. Did the Kyuubi take control temporarily?

Hinata felt tears fall from her eyes. He had let the Kyuubi take control. What had changed? She saw it. His bright blue orbs were gone. His eyes were dulled and void of emotion.

His eyes were also as red as blood.

"Naruto…what's happened to you?" Hinata whispered.

X.X.X

A/N: Hm. It may have been a bit shabby in a few parts. Was it well written?

Yep. The Kyuubi took over Naruto's body and Orochimaru was killed. But was it Orochimaru, or the Hachibi? I think it's pretty obvious. Bet you're all wondering what's up with Shikamaru's curse seal. That should be explained in the next chapter. Any questions you guys have will probably be answered in the next chapter.

The next chapter is a huge turning point. Naruto's life with be flipped upside down, turned inside out, and be twisted and screwed up so much it will make your eyes bleed…I hope. But he's really gone off the deep end now. You'll see what happened to everyone in the next chapter. Also, I may be changing the summary to go along with upcoming chapters. Just a heads up. May or may not do it.

Anywho, review please. Any questions, just ask. I want to know if this chapter was good or bad.

Kiiam


	15. For the best

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

A/N: Finally got this chapter finished. I took a bit longer than I wanted because I have to prepare for school that's gonna be starting up in a week. I had this project to do too so…yeah. Hopefully school won't get in the way of writing too much. I worked hard on this one. It's got some twists, as I said before. Enjoy.

**Chapter 15**

Jiraiya looked at the yelling men in front of him with a grim expression on his face. Tsunade was in front of the group of yelling elders, ninjas, and villagers, shouting back at them in an even louder voice. None seemed like they would stop arguing anytime soon. The toad sannin rubbed his temples. He was getting too old for this kind of crap.

"We saw what he did! You weren't there, so you wouldn't understand!" One of the ninja shouted at the slug sannin.

"SHUT UP! He's just a child!" Tsunade shouted back with a furious expression on his face.

"A child? Ha!" One of the elders laughed. "How naïve are you?"

"He's a demon that tore through the great snake, Orochimaru!" Another elder asserted.

"He crushed his skull with his bare hands!" A ninja shouted. "No _child _could ever do such a thing!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you arrested a young boy!" Tsunade snarled. "If anything, we should be grateful he defeated one of Konoha's top rank missing nin along with some of his best underlings!"

"It was massacre!"

"SHUT UP!"

Jiraiya sighed. What had taken place only hours ago had been reported to every villager in Konoha. The story of Naruto going berserk and brutally murdering Orochimaru and his subordinates caused the village to go into an uproar. After killing the great snake, the blond demon container had been arrested by more that twenty ANBU. Jiraiya and Tsunade had arrived just as Naruto was being taken away. The memory was still fresh in his head, as it had taken place not too long ago.

X.X.X

_Jiraiya looked around the stadium. Bodies of dead ninja, most of them from sound, were lying all over. Walls had been smashed and torn down and debris lay everywhere. It seemed as though a giant explosion had taken place not long before his arrival. Konoha ninja were still present in the stadium, but their attention was fixed on the roof above the balcony where the hokage had sat. Jiraiya and Tsunade hopped up onto the roof._

_What they found more than just shocked them. They noticed Hinata stood there with a distant look on her face. Anna was in her arms, tears streaming down her face. On the side of the roof lay the hokage and their beloved sensei, Sarutobi. Blood was dripping down from underneath him and there was a hold in his backside, which also had blood coming out of it._

_Many shouts and voices invaded Jiraiya's ears. As Tsunade rushed over to their sensei, tears starting to pour out of her eyes, Jiraiya turned to see many ANBU and jounin tying and binding a certain blond haired teen._

"_Naruto!" Jiraiya shouted, rushing over to the group of ninja._

"_Jiraiya-sama." One of the ANBU wearing a cat-face mask bowed to him. "We are happy to report that we are now arresting Uzumaki Naruto and will take him to the prison where he can be confined and kept from hurting any more people."_

"_What are you talking about?!" Jiraiya yelled. "Who told you to do this?"_

"_No one, sir." The ANBU replied. "But he is a threat and harmful to us and to the villagers so we had no choice but to arrest him. See for yourself." The masked nin overlooked the stadium. "All of this is his doing._

"_You can't be serious…" Jiraiya whispered in disbelief. "There's no way he did all this!"_

"_That's not all." The ANBU said. He pointed below. Jiraiya followed his finger to a headless corpse that lay limply against the wall below._

"_What am I looking at?" Jiraiya asked._

"_The headless body of Orochimaru." The ANBU answered grimly._

_Jiraiya's eyes widened. That was Orochimaru? He was dead? That was impossible! Along with the claim of Naruto wrecking the entire battlefield, there was no way Naruto could have taken down Orochimaru! Unless…_

_The toad sannin felt a sudden sense of dread. Now he knew what had occurred. The Kyuubi had pushed Naruto into another shift again. It was the only explanation for causing this much destruction. But why hadn't Naruto contained the Kyuubi? He was supposed to use Chakra Net so that something like this wouldn't happen. What was the point of learning it if he didn't even use it? He knew of the consequences, so what compelled him to allow the Kyuubi to take control again?_

_Jiraiya looked over at Tsunade, who had placed their dead sensei's head on her lap. She ignored the blood from the old ninja's torso and wept openly. Upon seeing this, Jiraiya found the answer to his question. The toad sannin glanced back at Orochimaru's headless body._

_Naruto had wanted revenge. He had felt the need for it before when Shikamaru had supposedly died and when he felt that his friends were in danger, but this went beyond that. The Sandaime had been a father to Naruto since he was a small boy. The old man comforted the despised boy when no one else would. He was the only person who didn't glare at Naruto when he saw him. In that sea of glares, only the old hokage looked at him with approval and hope in his eyes. Now, the boy would never be comforted by the man's soft gaze again. Orochimaru had taken away the one person that meant the most to Naruto._

_Being in a weak and fragile state, and with anger and hate towards the murderer of the hokage growing stronger, the Kyuubi probably had an easy time taking control of Naruto's body. Only seeking to end the life of the great snake, Naruto had lost sight of all reason and let the Kyuubi's chakra out, with his mind set on revenge._

"_This is the cat." The cat mask ANBU spoke into a walkie-talkie. "We have apprehended the demon and are taking him in. Understood."_

"_Wait, you're arresting him?" Jiraiya asked, snapping out of his thoughts._

"_It has to be done, Jiraiya-sama." Said cat mask. "The elders have just reported to the other team that there will be a meeting held to discuss this matter. They request your's and Tsunade-sama's attendance." The ANBU motioned to his team and they took the tied up Naruto away. The boy's expression didn't seem to change. He just looked like a walking corpse._

"_What are they going to do with him…?" Hinata asked quietly from behind Jiraiya._

"_Take him to jail and nothing else I hope." Jiraiya muttered. "From what has occurred here today, I'm glad that was his only punishment."_

"_How long will he be in jail?" Hinata asked as a few tears made their way down her face. Anna was sobbing loudly in her arms._

"_I don't know." Jiraiya sighed._

"_Could you…try to get him out?" Hinata asked as her sobs became louder. _

_Jiraiya looked at the Hyuuga heiress and Naruto's adopted daughter with sad eyes. He looked around at the destruction once more and glanced at Orochimaru's dead body. Should he try to get Naruto out of jail…?_

_Wait, what was he thinking? Of course he should! None of this was the boy's fault! It had been the Kyuubi. If he had been in Naruto's position and witnessed the hokage be killed right in front of him, his reaction would have been no less. It was only natural that Naruto wanted revenge after what had occurred. Jiraiya would have done the same thing…right?_

"_No…no I wouldn't have…" Jiraiya said quietly, shaking his head. He turned to Hinata. "You should go find your friends. Don't worry, Naruto will be okay. I'll make sure of that."_

_Hinata nodded. "Thank you."_

"…_Daddy…" Anna sobbed in her arms. The Hyuuga girl hopped down to the ground and rushed off to find her friends._

_Jiraiya looked after her. He looked back at where the ANBU once stood with a bound Naruto. They were long gone. Jiraiya looked towards Tsunade. She held the hokage tightly as she continued to cry. The white-haired man made his way over to the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder. A tear rolled down Jiraiya's cheek._

"_We should go." Jiraiya said quietly. Reluctantly, Tsunade nodded, leaving their sensei's body on the roof. ANBU were already seen coming to retrieve it. Jiraiya and Tsunade made their way off the roof and headed to the Hokage's tower, where the meeting concerning the hokage's death and Naruto's situation would no doubt be held._

X.X.X

Jiraiya had been to many council meetings in the past, all of them being serious and pressing discussions that were handled quietly and maturely. This meeting, however, was unlike the previous ones. The usually calm and collected council members were screaming abuse at a certain slug sannin who in turn threatened to break their necks and stuff their bodies in a box. Naruto was the topic. Tsunade was vouching for the boy as best she could while the ninja, villagers, and council members argued that the boy was a threat. Jiraiya groaned. So many things had happened in just one day.

"He's a threat that needs to be taken care of!" Shouted an ANBU.

"He's a boy that doesn't deserve to be locked up be pompous hotheads like you!" Tsunade shouted back.

"Lock him away! Keep him in jail!" A villager encouraged.

"He's a monster! Isn't what he did proof of that?" An elder pointed out.

"All of you just shut up! Don't speak that way about him!" Tsunade screamed.

"Excuse me."

Everyone turned their heads to see a Hyuuga elder standing at the door with a group of more Hyuuga elders behind him. They calmly made their way into the room and sat down in a few empty seats. Jiraiya closed his mouth. Just when he was about to speak too…

"Sorry that we're late. We had some business to attend to." The lead elder spoke. He folded his arms in front of him. "So what are we talking about?"

"We're talking about what we should do with the demon." One elder spat.

"NARUTO!" Tsunade yelled, making the elder shrink back in fear as she raised her fist.

"Ah, the Kyuubi boy." The Hyuuga nodded solemnly. "Poor boy. Being arrested at such a young age. I also heard that he killed Orochimaru. Is this true?"

"It is!" Said one of the villagers.

"Hm. I see." The elder nodded. "So what are you planning to do with the boy?"

"He deserves to be locked away, but she keeps saying that we should let him off the hook!" A ninja said, pointing an accusing finger at Tsunade. The woman glared at the villager, once again raising her fist.

"It's true that he is just a boy…so arresting him doesn't seem very just." The Hyuuga said thoughtfully. The rest of the Hyuuga elders behind him nodded. "But we very well just can't leave him alone now, can we?" He turned towards Tsunade. She glared at him. The Hyuuga elder was brave enough to glare back. "Do you honestly think that he is stable enough to be left like he is?"

"I think he…" Tsunade trailed off.

Deep down she knew Naruto couldn't just be left alone. He had changed too much for that. But she should be finding a way to defend him, not agree with the elders! But even so, the boy had grown a bit dangerous. Orochimaru's dead body flashed into her mind. The debris filled stadium also entered her thoughts. She settled for glaring at the elders instead.

"It is clear to us that the Kyuubi has to much of an influence on the boy." The head Hyuuga elder said. "We have had many discussions with Uzumaki in the past, as he was a frequent visitor to our home since he is close friends with Lady Hinata. We thought he was unstable then, but things have gotten even more out of control. The solution is this, we must find a way to suppress the Kyuubi and at the same time keep our distance from Naruto."

"Suppress the Kyuubi and keep our distance?" One ninja asked.

"We must cut ourselves off from Naruto so he will not harm the villagers. We must leave him alone so the Kyuubi will not affect him as much as he is now."

"How will leaving him alone suppress the Kyuubi?" Tsunade asked. "The Kyuubi was awakened by him being alone in the first place."

"Maybe, but can you say that it's better now than back then?" The Hyuuga elder asked. Tsunade arched an eyebrow at him. "True, the Kyuubi had been awake back when Naruto was left alone and did not have any connections. But the fox caused the boy no problems. When Naruto formed relationships, the fox started to control and change the boy. The Kyuubi acts up when Naruto thinks his bonds and connections with his friends are jeopardized. We have figured that out."

Jiraiya stared at the Hyuuga elders with wide eyes. He wanted to speak against them, but what they said did hold some truth. The Kyuubi acted whenever Naruto's friends were in danger or when one of his friends got hurt. This was the weakness that the Kyuubi used against the boy. By offering Naruto the power to protect his friends, the Kyuubi was allowed control willingly by Naruto himself. It was only after Naruto made friends that the Kyuubi became an influence to the boy! Maybe cutting off Naruto from the villagers, and maybe even his friends, really was the safest thing to do…

"Here's how we will contain the demon." The lead Hyuuga elder said. "Naruto will only be allowed to go into village to buy food and other things that are necessary for his survival. He will only be allowed in his house, the forest, or near the outskirts of the village all other times. In turn, no one is allowed contact with the boy. Not even his friends. His missions will be limited so he will not take on missions that could threaten his sanity. Also, he will be-"

"So you're placing him on house arrest?" Tsunade asked, folding her arms.

"In a sense, yes." The Hyuuga smiled slightly. "He will have limited space, and will not be allowed to come into contact with anyone unless absolutely necessary. It's the perfect solution."

"You're treating him like some sort of animal!" Tsunade shouted. "Making boundaries for him, only allowing him inside the village to buy food and other needy things. It's like trying to keep a wild animal in a cage!"

"That is exactly it." The Hyuuga elder replied calmly. "If a wild animal is kept in a cage, taken care of and well fed, it does not harm anyone outside the cage. This method will help Naruto control the Kyuubi and keep him a safe distance from the villagers. Everyone will be happy."

"Except him." Tsunade snarled. "Since he already has connections, they won't be so easily severed as you think. I've got a gut feeling that you're gonna regret this."

"Is that a threat?" The Hyuuga elder smiled.

"No…a warning." Tsunade glared at him.

"We shall see." The Hyuuga elder sneered. He turned towards the crowd of villagers, ninja, and elders. "Let's put it to a vote. Does everyone agree with this plan?" Everyone but Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded their heads frantically. The Hyuuga elder smiled in satisfaction. "Good. I'll send one of the Hyuuga's to collect Naruto's child."

"Wait, hold on." Jiraiya said, holding up his hands. He refused to stay silent any longer. "What do you mean by Naruto's child?"

"I mean that Hyuuga baby he said he adopted in Moon." The Hyuuga elder answered calmly.

"You can't take Anna away from him!" Jiraiya said standing up. "You have no right! Naruto will be enraged and Anna will be…" The small girl's crying face flashed into his mind. "You can't just take her away!"

"Yes we can." The Hyuuga elder said. "The plan in to cut off Naruto from everyone, and we mean _everyone._ That includes his so called, 'daughter'." Jiraiya stared at the man pleadingly. The Hyuuga looked at the toad sannin solemnly. "We fear for the young girl's safety. She's still practically a baby! We can't trust the Kyuubi boy with her, and since she formerly belonged to the Hyuuga clan, we take immediate custody of her. It is the only way to ensure the girl's safety and make sure Naruto is completely cut off from all of his relationships." Jiraiya sat back down. He clenched his fists together in frustration. The Hyuuga elders stood. Everyone but Jiraiya and Tsunade smiled at them.

"Now we must leave. Goodbye." The Hyuugas made their way towards the door.

"Wait!"

The Hyuugas turned back. Jiraiya was standing up with his arms folded across his chest.

"What is it?" The lead Hyuuga elder glared at him.

"We still need to discuss the hokage's funeral that will be held tomorrow…and the next hokage." Jiraiya said solemnly.

"…Indeed." The Hyuugas sat back down.

"And I have a request."

"What would that be?"

"Please allow Naruto to come to the hokage's funeral tomorrow." Jiraiya pleaded. "The man was like a father to him…and I'm sure he would love nothing more than to see the old man off."

The elders discussed it amongst themselves. They turned back to the expectant sannin.

"Fine." The lead elder nodded. "He will be allowed at the funeral. But he is to return immediately after the funeral. Agreed?"

"Jiraiya sighed. "Agreed."

X.X.X

Everything was black. Then everything was white. Then his eyes opened.

Shikamaru shielded his eyes from the sunlight that shone down on him. He sat up and looked around. Everything was in ruins. He could see a few Konoha ninja running around near the bleachers, aiding the wounded, but that was it. The boy groaned. His head hurt.

What had happened? He remembered engaging that pink-haired girl after she had kicked him down to the arena. The girl had the same mark as he did, only its appearance was a bit different. Her mark looked like tiny arrows spreading across her skin. She had used some sort of strange genjutsu on him during their fight. Her flute was like a weapon. She summoned some monsters to fight against him and once during the fight he had to break his own finger just to get out of her spell. Shikamaru winced as he felt the stinging pain in his pinky finger.

He remembered that he had the caught the girl in his shadow possession jutsu before he got knocked out. When he had her in his jutsu, her mark started to cover her skin entirely and her skin color started to turn darker. Before either of them could do anything and huge explosion knocked them off their feet, shocking them both. Shikamaru had smashed his head against a piece of wall that had been thrown down because of the explosion and blacked out when his head hit its surface. He didn't know what happened to his opponent. He looked around. Where was that girl anyway?

He turned sharply as he heard a groan come from behind him. Shikamaru pulled out a kunai from his back pouch, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings. He inched forward cautiously until something pink caught his eye.

His opponent, Tayuya, was lying down on the ground, her legs covered by rocks and wreckage. She struggled to pull her legs out from under the ruins but winced every time she tried. Shikamaru sighed and made his way towards her. She saw him coming and sneered at her enemy.

"Bet you're enjoying this, aren't ya asshole?" Tayuya spat. "Damn, this is brilliant. I'm at the mercy of a pineapple-head like you."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the girl's language. She looked about the same age he did. Where did she pick up such a foul mouth? He looked behind him to see her flute, broken and clearly out of her reached. He stared at Tayuya who glared back.

"Well? Aren't you going to finish me off?" The girl snarled.

Shikamaru remained silent. His eyes went from her face to her neck. There in plain sight was her curse seal. It was a triangle of arrows. He looked back at the girl's face. She was like him, but the curse seal didn't seem to bother her when they were fighting. Why was that? An idea formed in his head. It would probably get him killed, but what the hell, he'd give it a shot. He started to push the rubble off Tayuya's body.

"Wha…What are you doing?" The girl asked incredulously.

"I'm helping you out. What does it look like?" Shikamaru replied bluntly.

"Ha! Sure, right. You help an enemy. That makes sense." Tayuya said sarcastically. The boy didn't stop in his actions. The girl glared at him. "Hey, pineapple-head, did you not hear what I just said?"

"Yes."

"Why are you helping me?!" Tayuya demanded.

"I want information." Shikamaru replied. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal his own curse mark. Tayuya's eyes widened.

"H-How do you…"

"A series of unfortunate events." Shikamaru relied. "This thing has been causing me a lot of problems. It doesn't seem to bother you, so I'm going to ask you a few questions."

"Like I'm gonna answer them!" Tayuya laughed out loud.

"Are all pink-haired girls this noisy?" Shikamaru muttered, thinking of Sakura.

"My hair is red, asswipe." Tayuya growled, clearly overhearing his comment. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"What a troublesome girl." The boy sighed as he cleared the rest of the debris off of her legs. One of them went bent in an unnatural way. Shikamaru looked at her with a bored expression. "You broke your leg."

"Oh, gee, do ya think?" Tayuya said sarcastically. Shikamaru glared at her. He didn't like her attitude. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"What are you doing!?" Tayuya shouted as she punched him across the face. Shikamaru stumbled back clutching his cheek.

"I'm helping you up, you troublesome girl." Shikamaru grumbled. Kami, that was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"I don't need your help. We're supposed to be fighting." Tayuya growled. She tried to stand up, but collapsed as pain shot through her leg. She whimpered as the pain started to skyrocket. Shikamaru cautiously made his way over to her. The girl glared at him defiantly.

"Okay, look. Here are your choices." Shikamaru frowned. "You can either come with me, answer my questions, and get treated, or I report you to the ANBU and I let you rot in jail."

"Wow, both sound so appealing." Tayuya said mockingly. She glared him. "I choose kill you and run away."

"Says the girl with a broken leg and a broken weapon." Shikamaru smirked. He pointed to her shattered flute a few feet away. Tayuya's eyes widened. So that's where it went!

"I can fight you hand to hand!" Tayuya said raising one fist. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. This was getting pathetic. He reached down a picked her up bridal style.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE IDEA?!" Tayuya shouted as she flailed around in his arms.

"Keep squirming, and I drop you without a second thought." Shikamaru threatened. "How's that leg doing?" Tayuya stopped moving, understanding what he meant. She folded her arms and glared at him.

"Go to hell." Tayuya grumbled.

"I'm starting to think it can't be much worse." Shikamaru said as he tried to find an exit. Tayuya hit him on the head.

"Screw you."

"I'll drop you."

X.X.X

It was dark. Not pitch black like the night sky dark, but an eerie kind of dark that made one feel hopeless, small, and afraid. But whether he was scared or not, Naruto didn't show any signs of fear on his face. He had been beaten a few times by the ANBU that took him here before they threw him in this place. It reminded him of the days back when he didn't have any problems with the Kyuubi. Right now, those days sure sounded a lot better. To him, beatings were better than what the Kyuubi was doing to him.

Naruto sat in the corner of his cell. His feet were out in front of him, rope tied around his ankles, limiting his leg movement. He placed his hands on his lap, they were also bound. Naruto was in a hunched over position so his bangs covered his eyes, making it so that if anyone looked at him they couldn't see the pool of red that had replaced an ocean of blue. In other words, his cerulean eyes had turned red, courtesy of using Partial Shift again.

But he knew that he hadn't gone into Partial Shift, nor did he go into Complete Shift. The Kyuubi had been in control of his body. He didn't change into a beast form of himself like Gaara did, the demon just became the host of his body. Naruto had thought he would go into Complete Shift after he had let the Kyuubi feed him his chakra, but he was wrong. For a while, Naruto had practically been dead.

What had called him back to the world of the living? Was he even dead when the Kyuubi took control? Perhaps he was in a near-death state. He couldn't feel anything. While the Kyuubi was in a rampage, Naruto seemed to float in an endless blackness, not caring what happened to him. He didn't care what happened to him, he didn't care what happened to the villagers, he didn't care what happened to his enemies, he almost didn't care what happened to his friends. So then what called him back? What made him retake his body back from the demon?

"Naruto."

The boy didn't look up. He stared at his bound hands with an expressionless mask. He knew who the speaker was, but he didn't bother to look up.

"Naruto." Yamato spoke again. The boy shifted a bit. His eyes remained hidden from view. The ANBU man sighed. "Are you okay?"

"…"

"…Naruto, please say something." Yamato begged.

"…Leave." Came a toneless reply.

Yamato was a bit shocked by this. Did he not want to get out of prison?

"I have been sent here to escort you to the hokage's tower." Yamato said softly. "Your…punishment has been decided." Naruto made no effort to move.

"Move aside, we'll get him out."

Naruto heard his cell door open and a few people step in. His bound hands were grabbed and he was forcefully pulled to his feet. The prison guards laughed at the tied up boy.

"What's the matter? Not gonna fight back?" One guard mocked. He punched Naruto across the face. The other guards laughed. Yamato glared at them, his hands clenched at his sides. He really wished he could do something to help.

He suddenly heard one of the guards yelp. The guard who had hit him suddenly backed away, his face showing absolute fear. Yamato looked at Naruto who was staring at the scared ninja. His two companions pointed their javelins at Naruto's neck. Their hands, Yamato noticed, were shaking. He looked at Naruto. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then he saw his eyes. Instead of blue, they were blood red. Yamato felt a chill go down his spine and the hairs on his neck stand up. When he looked into those eyes, he felt an unpleasant emotion. Fear? That didn't seem like the right word. Naruto stared at the guard, who no doubt was feeling that unpleasant emotion from being under that stare.

"Naruto, come out of the cell please." Yamato asked gently. He looked to the two guards who were pointing their weapons at him. "And untie him while you're at it."

One of the guards took out a small knife and cut through Naruto's restraints. Naruto slowly walked forward until he was in front of Yamato. The boy was looking down now. Yamato felt strangely relieved at that. He motioned for Naruto to follow him as he left the prison. Naruto followed without another word.

X.X.X

Shikamaru sat in a chair. Tayuya sat in a bed, glaring at him. The shadow manipulator sighed. Maybe he should have just left her there.

The two hadn't moved since they had arrived in the hospital and he placed her in the bed. Shikamaru had removed her sound headband, saying to the doctor that she had been disguised so she could confuse the sound ninja. The doctor had bought they lie and had given the unsuspected girl a room without another word. Lots of ninja were pouring into the hospital. When they were making their way to the room, Shikamaru also noticed that there were also some Sand ninja being brought in. Why was that? Weren't they enemies?

"So are you gonna leave now or what?" Tayuya asked rudely.

"Not until I know what I want to know." Shikamaru said, crossing his arms. The two stared at each in silence.

"Well? What are you waiting for, dipshit?" Tayuya growled. "I can't answer if there's no question!"

"Oh? So you'll cooperate?"

"No willingly." The girl frowned.

"Okay then." Shikamaru nodded. What should he ask first? "Does your curse seal bother you?"

"No."

Shikamaru looked at her for a moment. "Can you use it?"

"Yes."

"I mean can you activate it yourself?"

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

"You could explain things in a bit more detail." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, I could." Tayuya smiled. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. At least one person was enjoying this.

"Let me rephrase the questions then." Shikamaru sighed. "How do you activate the seal by yourself?"

"I dunno…it just happens when I want it to." Tayuya replied.

"…That didn't help at all."

"Good." Tayuya smirked. Shikamaru sighed. Maybe it would help if he explained his own situation first.

"Well, here's my problem." Shikamaru said. "I wasn't meant to have the curse seal, it was originally supposed to be for Uchiha Sasuke. For some crazy reason, I intervened and got this as a reward." Shikamaru showed her his mark again. "It causes me pain every so often. I know a little bit about it from a subordinate of Orochimaru's, but not enough so that I know how to deal with it. How can I stop the seal from hurting me?"

"You've gotta control it." Tayuya answered.

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know." Tayuya shrugged. "It's different for each person."

"…Explain." Shikamaru said.

"Kabuto once told me and my co-workers he had leaked some information about the seal to a spiky blond-haired guy, you know him?" Tayuya asked. Shikamaru nodded. "Did he tell you anything about the curse seal?" Shikamaru nodded again. "Did he say anything about the curse seal having an entity of its own?"

"He said something along those lines." Shikamaru stated.

"Cool, so I don't have to go into detail." Tayuya smirked. She frowned. "Simply put, the curse seals have minds of their own."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Have you ever heard a voice in your head that was either talking to you or calling you to some unknown place?" Tayuya asked.

The boy nodded. A few days after he got the seal, a foreign voice would haunt his dreams, calling him and beckoning him to go somewhere. Naruto had told him that was Orochimaru's calling and he would have to ignore as best he could. It was hard, but he did it. Shikamaru remembered his fight with Temari. That was the only time the seal had actually talked to him.

"That's the seal talking." Tayuya said. "At first I thought it was Orochimaru speaking to me through the seal. A boring lecture from four-eyes taught me otherwise." Shikamaru knew she was referring to Kabuto. "The seals are like parasites living inside our bodies. They suck and feed off chakra, as you probably know. Sometimes they talk to us, telling us to let the mark spread so they can feed off our chakra. It got pretty annoying after a while." Tayuya's face took on an annoyed expression.

"So they have minds of their own?"

"Yep."

"Can you make the voices stop?" Shikamaru asked.

"Only if you control it." Tayuya said. "You've gotta find out what makes your curse mark tick. You've got to do something to make it shut up and submit to you. You gotta be tough and control the seal yourself."

"How do you do it?"

"I yell at it." Tayuya replied casually. Shikamaru stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"You…yell…at it." Shikamaru said slowly. A picture of her yelling at her own neck popped into his mind.

"Not in the way you're thinking." Tayuya scoffed. "There's a way to go inside your head and confront the curse seal yourself."

"Go inside my head?" Shikamaru asked. This sounded really familiar…didn't Naruto once say he did this with the Kyuubi? Called it mindscape?

"You can only talk back to it when it talks to you." Tayuya said. "If you make it surrender itself to you, it'll stop talking. The effects of the curse mark will still be in effect, but there will be no more voices in your head. Don't try yelling at it when it talks to you though. It's different for each person."

"Huh?"

"Yeah." Tayuya nodded. "See, to shut my seal up, I had to yell at it. Sakon and Ukon said that they had to scare it. Jirobo had to overpower his curse mark. Kidomaru said he had to fight his mark. My guess was that in order to control your curse mark, you had to do something you were good at."

"So that's why yelling worked for you." Shikamaru smirked. Tayuya glared at him.

"Pineapple-head." Tayuya growled. "Shut up."

"How do you go into…er…your head so you can control the seal?"

"I told you, when the seal speaks to you, you can fight it." Tayuya said rolling her eyes. "Just make sure you know what makes your seal tick before you try to control it."

"Right." Shikamaru sighed. "One more question."

"Joy."

"How did Orochimaru make this seal?" Shikamaru asked. He was shocked when Tayuya's face suddenly took on a nervous expression.

"It…wasn't exactly Orochimaru who created the seal." Tayuya said quietly. "The seal was actually a failed experiment…when Hachibi wanted to copy himself…"

Shikamaru's eyes widened. What did she just say?

A couple of knocks made the two jump. The door opened to reveal many people. Anko, Haku, Saki, Azrael, A boy and a man, who Shikamaru was shocked to realize they were Issac and Zabuza, and Hinata, who was holding Anna in her arms, all stepped into the room. A woman who Shikamaru remembered as Tsunade's apprentice, Shizune, entered the room with a blond haired girl with four pig tails. Temari. Shizune placed her on the bed next to Tayuya.

"Sorry we had to move you." Shizune apologized.

"It's fine." Temari waved her off. The girl bowed and left the room in a hurry, no doubt going to help more patients.

"Glad to see you're okay, punk." Anko smiled, ruffling Shikamaru's hair. "Feared the worst when we couldn't find you in the stadium."

"I had something I needed to do." Shikamaru shot a glance at Tayuya. She glared at him. The shadow manipulator ignored her and nodded at Zabuza and Issac.

"Good to see you again." Shikamaru said. "The negotiations went well?"

"We're your allies now." Issac said proudly. Zabuza nodded.

Another knock. Kankuro rushed in and made his way over to his sister. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Temari." Kankuro sighed. "I couldn't find you after your match."

"It's fine. Some nice ninja took care of me." Temari smiled. "How are sensei and Gaara?"

"In another room getting their wounds taken care of." Kankuro replied. His face turned grave. "I've also got something to tell you."

"Hey."

Everyone turned towards Shikamaru. He looked at everyone strangely.

"I was knocked out for most of the fighting. On my way in here, I saw some sand ninja being taken care of along with our ninja. What's going on? Weren't we fighting?" Shikamaru asked.

"We were, until something came to our attention." Anko said solemnly. She turned towards the two sand siblings. "You can tell him. She needs to here it too, doesn't she?" Anko was talking about Temari. Kankuro nodded.

"The kazekage…" Kankuro said. "…is dead."

Temari's eyes widened. She sat up in her bed ignoring the pain in her shoulder. "What?! How?!"

"It was all part of his plan, Orochimaru." Kankuro said through clenched teeth. "It was all a farce! A trick! Orochimaru had killed the kazekage without us knowing. We found his body in a pit somewhere near here. Some scouts sent us the message. It was Orochimaru's plan to use us and kill our leader! But he got his though…" A smile made its way to the puppeteer's face.

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked. Anko sighed.

"You must have been out for a while." Anko sighed. Everyone looked down at the floor, their faces were sad. Shikamaru didn't like that. Anko turned away. "The hokage is also dead. Killed by Orochimaru."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "No!"

"But…" Anko continued. "Orochimaru is also dead."

Shikamaru was more than shocked now. First the kazekage, then hokage, now the snake? Who else died without him knowing?

"What? Who killed him?" Tayuya shouted in surprise. Everyone looked at her. She glared at them. "What?"

"Who's this?" Haku asked.

"Ignore her." Shikamaru said. Tayuya flipped him her middle finger. "Who killed the snake?"

"Naruto." Anko said solemnly. Shikamaru stared at her unbelievingly.

"How…?"

"It happened again."

"…"

Everyone sat in silence for a while. Temari and Kankuro looked at the Konoha and Mist nin curiously. Tayuya was curious, but glared at them instead.

"Daddy?" Anna spoke up as she looked around the room.

"She had better not start crying again." Zabuza groaned.

"Where is Naruto anyway?" Saki asked curiously.

Another knock on the door. A familiar face. Yamato stepped in.

"Shizune told me you guys were here." Yamato said looking at Anko, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Anna. "You should come with me. Naruto is in a meeting with the council."

"I can only imagine why." Anko muttered. She looked up at her friend. "Take us there."

The man nodded. He bowed to everyone in the room. "Excuse us." He and team eight left the room. Everyone stared after them.

"What the hell is up with this place?" Tayuya muttered.

X.X.X

Naruto sat in a chair, looking up at the council members who stood on podiums. Jiraiya and Tsunade were among them, but they hadn't spoken much during the meeting. They simply looked at him with pity and sadness in their eyes. Naruto hated it.

"Uzumaki? Are you paying attention?"

Naruto looked at the person in the center. The lead Hyuuga elder. This guy had done most of the talking with some encouragement from the other members of the council. They were like drones, going along with every word the old coot said. From the meetings in the Hyuuga mansion, Naruto had known the old man to be bitter, impatient, short-tempered, and he hated him. In here, the old man was calm, collected, patient, and commanding. Naruto knew he was just acting like this for a greater goal, but quite frankly, he couldn't care less.

"So in short, you will not be allowed inside the village unless you want to buy food and other essential things." The elder said, reading from a piece of paper. "This means you may not eat at any stands or restaurants. Buy food from the store and get back home. For missions, your sensei will come to pick you up and you will depart from your house with her. You are allowed near the outskirts of Konoha's main streets, but nothing less. The forest in your home is still open to you though. Also, you are not allowed contact with anyone, not even your friends. Do I make myself clear?"

Naruto remained silent. They had explained everything to him. Was this their way of getting rid of him? But maybe…it was better this way. If he didn't meet with them, he couldn't hurt them. He couldn't hurt the people close to him. Maybe…this was for the best.

"Do I make myself clear?" The Hyuuga elder repeated.

"Yes." Naruto nodded.

"Good." The elder nodded. "You are, however, allowed at the hokage's funeral. It will be held at twelve o'clock noon tomorrow. After that, you are to return straight home. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Good." The Hyuuga nodded, smiling. Jiraiya and Tsunade glared at him. They wished that they could speak against him. "One more thing…"

"Naruto!"

The boy turned around. The elder paused and looked towards the door. More people started calling his name. Naruto started walking towards the door.

"Wait!" The Hyuuga elder called. Naruto was already out the door.

Naruto saw his friends running down the hall towards him. Their faces lit up when they saw him. His own face was expressionless he didn't even smile. Hinata enveloped him in a warm hug. He felt nothing.

"Naruto. I'm so glad you're okay." Hinata smiled warmly as she embraced him. A blush spread over her cheeks. His arms lay limp by his sides.

"You're more trouble than you're worth." Shikamaru sighed as Hinata stepped away from the blond. The Nara smiled. "Good to see you're okay though." Naruto didn't say anything.

"I should kill you for hiding from me this past month." Anko said slapping his backside. Naruto looked at her. She smiled. "But I'll let you off with a warning this time."

"It's good to see that you're safe, Naruto-kun." Yamato smiled. Anna was in his arms, beaming at her adopted father.

"Daddy!" Anna exclaimed happily as she extended her arms towards him.

Naruto looked at the girl. He suddenly felt overwhelming sadness. For some reason, he felt like he wanted to cry. He timidly reached towards the smiling child. His hand shook a bit and he pulled back. What was this hesitation he felt?

"Naruto?" Hinata questioned. They all looked at him oddly. Anna tilted her head to the side curiously.

Naruto reached forward again and slowly took Anna from Yamato's arms. The girl grinned as he held her in his arms again. She threw her arms around his neck, laughing while she did so.

"Daddy! Daddy!" The girl said happily. She pulled back and looked up at him with big white eyes. She smiled like she always did when she was around him. But Naruto didn't smile back. He just stared at the girl in his arms. She reached up and patted his cheek. The feeling of sadness seemed to increase.

"Uzumaki."

Everyone turned to see the Hyuuga elders standing there. The leader stepped towards the blond boy and extended his arms. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"Give me the girl." The elder said. Everyone gasped. Naruto stared at the man with wide eyes.

"W-What?" Naruto stuttered, finally showing some emotion.

"You heard what we all agreed on, didn't you?" The man smiled kindly. False kindness. "You were not to meet with anyone, including the girl." The man pointed to Anna. "Since she was a member of the Hyuuga clan before you adopted her, we will take custody of her now. You are no longer allowed to see her, just like everyone else."

"Why you-!" Anko stepped towards the man menacingly. Yamato held her back.

"Naruto…has to give up Anna?" Shikamaru said in astonishment.

"Like hell!" Anko snarled. "You've got no right! The hokage would go against this!"

"Unfortunately, the hokage is dead, may I remind you." The elder said sadly. Naruto couldn't tell if it was fake or real sadness. "This is for the child's safety. I'm sure Naruto wants her to be safe, doesn't he?"

"Naruto would never hurt her!" Hinata protested. "Anna loves him! You can't take her away like this elder!"

"You'll still be able to see her, Lady Hinata." The elder replied calmly. "If it makes you feel any better, you can help care for her. Besides, I'm sure Hanabi would like a playmate." He reached towards Naruto again. "Now, the girl?"

Anna glared at the man and clung to Naruto's shirt possessively.

"Daddy, mine." Anna said proudly, sticking her tongue out at the Hyuuga. The old man stared at the girl in astonishment. Anna smiled up at her father. "Daddy, nice!"

Naruto looked at the girl's smiling face. She was so innocent. How could she still smile at him after what he had done? She wasn't even there. She was too young to understand. He wanted to protect her. He never wanted that smile of hers to go away. If she was with him, she might end up in a pool of her own blood some day. Pictures of all those children being slaughtered by those cloud nin flashed into his mind. Naruto's lip trembled. He had to keep her safe.

Everyone was shocked when Naruto handed Anna to the elder. He and the rest of the elders smiled at Naruto's cooperation. Jiraiya and Tsunade had also stepped out into the hall and witnessed the boy giving up his daughter. Both sannin were astonished.

"…Daddy…?" Anna said quietly. She looked up at the elder who was holding her and back at Naruto. A hurt expression came across her face.

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He pushed past Anko and Yamato, ignoring Hinata's and Shikamaru's looks of shock and walked down the hall.

"Daddy!"

Naruto started walking faster. Sadness started to build up inside him. His friends started to call out his name. The boy broke out into a sprint. He stormed down the hall, exited the tower, and ran into the streets of Konoha, headed for home. Anna's surprised and hurt expression burned into his mind.

"Anna…I'm sorry…" Naruto whispered. Tears started to fall from his eyes as he ran through the streets of Konoha.

X.X.X

The boy awoke. He lay on his bed, curled up in a ball. He had been crying all last night so he wasn't feeling one hundred percent. Then again, nowadays, he never really felt his best.

Naruto sat up in bed and look at the clock. It was ten thirty. The funeral would start in a hour and a half. Naruto got out of his bed and threw on a new set of clothes without a word. He looked around his apartment. It was filthy. But it was also missing something. Naruto kicked his mourning clothes out of his way as he walked into the kitchen.

He pulled out a cup of instant ramen and quickly heated it up. He didn't dig into his meal like he normally did. He ate at a slow pace. Naruto stopped halfway through his meal and started into his breakfast. Frustration suddenly built up inside him and he chucked the cup of noodles at the wall. His half eaten meal flew out of the cup and hit the wall with a splat, also staining the wall in the process. Naruto exited the kitchen.

He sat down on his bed and ran his hands through his wild hair. His mourning clothes lay next to his feet. More anger built up inside of him and he kicked away the clothes again. They landed near his dresser. Naruto grabbed them and stared at them with hateful eyes. They were a painful reminder that he had lost one…no…TWO people that meant the most to him.

Sarutobi and Anna.

Naruto threw his clothes out the window. It was raining so they landed in the mud and sank into the wet and soft earth. Naruto slammed his window closed and returned to his bed. He eyed the yellow Unamekei clan that sat on a desk next to his bed. Then something shiny caught his eye.

A knife.

For what ever reason, a long, sharp knife was laying on his desk next to his clan book. Why it was there, he had no idea. He didn't remember placing it their. He observed it closely. It looked really sharp. It could probably cut a lot of things. Maybe it could be used as a weapon. Used to kill. Kill someone like…

"Me…" Naruto mumbled. His eyes widened. His chakra claws appeared around his fingers and he brought his nails down on the knife, shattering it to pieces. The claws on his hands disappeared. Naruto felt sadness built up instead him. A few tears fell from his cheeks.

What was he thinking? Had he become so unstable that he would look to…suicide…as a solution? If the old man were alive, he would be ashamed of Naruto for trying to pull such a stunt. Naruto covered his face with his hands. Had he really grown this weak? The Kyuubi would have no problem taking over his body in this time of despair. He could harm his friends. How could he make things right?

He spotted a backpack lying next to his dresser. He looked at it for a while. He looked down at his hands. He nodded. He had to.

He grabbed the backpack and started stuffing clothes, food, and other personal belongings in it. This way, he would never be able to hurt anyone again.

"I have to leave the village."

X.X.X

It was a dark day. A dark rainy day. Despite the downpour that had plagued Konoha, everyone had turned up for the hokage's funeral. Dressed in black, mourning clothes, people stood in the rain. Each person held a white flower in his or her hand, a tribute to the Sandaime. The raindrops fell like the many tears that poured down many faces, saddened at the loss of a kind and great hokage. Even the sand shinobi had shown up. They wanted to repent for their sin of aiding an enemy, and regretted that they did not know what a great man Sarutobi was.

Anko placed her flower beside the hokage's casket. Her arrogant, jolly look had been replaced by a sadder and depressed look. She softly placed her hand on the departed hokage's casket.

"Thanks for helping me all those times when I was small." Anko said quietly. She moved on so other people in the long line behind her could pay their respects. Yamato was right behind her. He placed his hand on the casket as well.

"Same as what she said. Thanks for everything." Yamato smiled. He moved on and took his place next to Anko in the crowd. The woman's head was bowed.

"I feel like I should say something that would make you feel better." Yamato said without looking at her. He stared ahead as more people paid tribute. "But nothing seems to come to mind at the moment."

"You don't have to say anything…" Anko said smiling at the man. She smiled sadly at the man's casket. "He was the one that helped me out you know…back when I was…"

"Me too." Yamato nodded.

"He was a great man." Anko said, leaning into her friend's side. She looked down as tears clouded her vision. "I…he…" The woman broke out into sobs.

The ANBU didn't look at her. He knew that she didn't want anyone to see her like this. Looking back, the last time she cried was when he found her in that cell Orochimaru left her in back when they were kids. The hokage had helped her get better, with his help of course, and he was like a father to both of them. Yamato wished he could cry, but felt no tears in his eyes. Anko was crying for the both of them though.

After everyone was finished paying tribute, Jiraiya stepped forward. He too, had black mourning clothes. In his hand was a scroll. He looked at everyone with sad eyes. He unraveled the scroll and cleared his throat.

The toad sannin read loud and clear for everyone to hear. He spoke of Sarutobi. Told his story from when he was young, to when he was old, and when he died protecting Konoha from an insane former student of his. Jiraiya spoke of the man's accomplishments and what a great man he was. He spoke of how the man became hokage, and of what a great sensei he was. Everyone listened to every word he said, silently thanking the dead hokage for everything he had done.

During this time, Yamato observed the faces of all his friends. He spotted Shikamaru standing with his family. The boy and his father looked ahead with strong, yet sad faces. His mother weeped openly. Hinata was with her family as well. The girl was crying as she held Hanabi close to her. Hiashi gripped her shoulder, trying to console the cryinig girl. Neji stood next to them with his team and their sensei. Tenten was trying her best not to cry as Neji held her hand to comfort her. Lee and Gai stood erect nodding at every good word Jiraiya said about the man. Shino, Kiba, Ino, and Chouji stood with their families. All had looks of sadness on their faces. Sasuke and Sakura stood in front of Kakashi. The white-haired man held both of their shoulders. Both teens looked miserable. Asuma and Kurenai held each other close, both comforting each other as tears fell from their eyes. Iruka stood next to them holding the hokage's grandson, Konohamaru, in his arms. The baby was crying. Haku and the rest from wave bowed their heads in respect. The sand siblings were also there. They completely regretted attacking the village. Even Tayuya was there. She stood next to Shikamaru, her head bowed and her leg in a cast.

"Sarutobi, the Sandaime, was a great man and he will always be remembered." Jiraiya said, finishing up his speech. He rolled up the scroll he had been reading and unrolled a new one. "Our departed hokage has named a successor in his will. Tsunade, please step forward." The blond haired woman wiped her tears and stood tall. She stepped next to Jiraiya. "You will now succeed the Sandaime as the fifth hokage, the Godaime. Do your best to meet our departed leader's expectations."

"I will." Tsunade nodded. Everyone, despite the sadness they were feeling and the rain pouring down on their heads, cheered for the new hokage. Throughout this cheer, Yamato silently wondered.

'_Where is Naruto?'_

X.X.X

The boy stared up at the gates of Konoha. In his pocket was the Unamekei clan book, in his backpack were the belongings he was going to bring along with him. He had left a note in his apartment should anyone find it. Should anyone care to find it. Once he stepped out of those gates, there was no going back.

He didn't go to the funeral. Not only were his mourning clothes trashed, but he wouldn't be able to stand seeing that casket where the old man was eternally resting. It would be too sad. The boy thought about seeing his friends off, but they would only try to stop him. Or would they? Naruto shook away the thought. This was the only way he could be sure he wouldn't hurt anyone anymore. He would return when he could control the Kyuubi…if that ever happened. Naruto sighed and took a step forward.

Then something tugged in the back of his head, holding him back.

Anna's face flashed through his mind. Naruto looked from the giant gates then back to the Konoha streets. They were deserted, as everyone was at the funeral. Naruto turned around and started walking through the streets. His legs were moving on their own. He was headed towards the Hyuuga's mansion.

He'd say goodbye to Anna. Her, and her alone. He wanted to see her one last time, and he was sure she did too.

X.X.X

"I have the child, sir." A Hyuuga said to the leader of the Hyuuga elders. The old man nodded. He took the small child from the man's arms.

"Thank you." The elder said. "Guard this door and make sure no one gets in."

"Yes sir." The man nodded and shut the door behind him. The elder looked down at the girl in his arms. Anna stared back with wide, fearful eyes.

"…Daddy…?" The child whispered quietly.

"Your daddy won't come for you, child." The man said as he stepped towards the center of the room. The other Hyuuga elders were also present. Some lower branch members were also there, standing next the elders like personal guards.

"…Daddy!" Anna said a bit louder.

"He has abandoned you. Even as a child, you should understand that." The elder said. "Nobody wants you, so no one would care if you disappeared."

"What do you mean, sir?" Asked a lower branch Hyuuga member.

"I am no fool." The leader said. "This child, as you all know by now, is the product of the experimentation that took place in cloud using Hyuuga Hizashi's dead body."

"Those criminals broke our seal somehow and made this abomination through experiments and killing young children." Another elder said.

"The boy, the Kyuubi child, thought he fooled us with his story." The leader scoffed. He placed Anna on a table in the center of the room. Another elder held her down as she tried to crawl off the table. "We knew she was an experiment. We knew she was cloud's creation. With her around, it puts the Hyuuga clan at stake."

"How?" Another lower branch member asked.

"If this gets out, people will be encouraged to attack the Hyuuga clan." The elder said solemnly. "Even more people will desire to know our clan's secrets. For many years the Hyuuga's have alone known the secrets of the Byakugan and kept it a secret. Now, our secret has been discovered."

"Couldn't we just put the seal on her forehead?" One Hyuuga asked.

"She is a tainted child. A reminder that our enemy has beaten us." The elder said. He slipped on some gloves. They had sharp pointed tips at the ends. Anna looked at the gauntlets with fear. "We must make sure know one knows that there is a way to break our seal."

"But…to kill her…" One man said. "Won't people find out?"

"Fool. Why do you think I wear these?" The elder raised his claws. "We will frame the Kyuubi child. We'll put the body in his room. The claw marks will make it seem like he killed her. No one will believe him because of what happened, and he will also be disposed of for his crime. Not only are we preserving our clan, but we are also doing Konoha a favor." The leader stepped towards the squirming child and raised his claws. Tears fell from Anna's eyes.

"NO! NO!" Anna shouted.

"Hm. I think I understand why you took a liking to the Kyuubi child." The leader smirked. "You're both monsters." He swung his hands down. Anna screamed.

A shout was heard outside.

The leader stopped his hands. The claws were inches away from the girl's face. Two thumps could be heard outside the door. The knob twisted and opened.

"Daddy!" Anna shouted.

Naruto stood there. The two Hyuugas that had been standing guard were on the floor behind him, unconscious. The boy looked at Anna. He looked at the Hyuugas around him. He looked at the leader of the elders. He looked at the clawed gloves. The leader stared back at him. He quickly brought his hands back and down on Anna.

His claws only met the table.

"You…you…"

The leader turned to see Naruto standing at the door again. In his arms was the girl he was about to kill. Anna clung to his shirt, shaking after being rescued. Naruto held her close. His eyes were wide with fear. Fear that Anna was almost killed.

"You…tried to…kill her!" Naruto said pointing at the elder. "You tried to kill her. You tried to kill Anna. YOU TRIED TO KILL MY DAUGHTER!" The boy was screaming. Blue chakra started to form around his fingers.

"Get the child!" The leader commanded. The Hyuugas stood in place. They didn't like the way Naruto was looking at them.

"Get her!" The leader repeated. The Hyuugas rushed towards Naruto.

The rest was a blur. It ended as quickly as it began. Anna sat on the ground near the door, her eyes wide. The bodies of the Hyuuga clan members lay scattered around the room. It was hard to tell if they were dead or unconscious. They were all bleeding. Naruto held the Hyuuga elder leader by the collar of his robe. He pushed the old man against the wall. His chakra claws were in from the man's face. Naruto's red eyes flashed.

"Why? Why did you try to kill her?" Naruto asked. The image of the Hyuuga bringing down his weapon on Anna flashed through his head. The picture brought tears to Naruto's eyes. "Why…?"

"She is a tainted child!" The Hyuuga elder spat. "She is an experiment of our enemy! She is our enemy! A child like her is an insult to the Hyuuga clan! A reminder that our secret has been discovered!"

"…That's…that's your reason…?" Naruto whispered. He clenched his free hand into a fist. His claws dug into his skin, drawing blood.

"She is not part of the Hyuuga clan! She is part of cloud, our enemy!" The Hyuuga shouted. "She has stolen our secrets! She doesn't deserve to live! YOU AND THAT TAINTED CHILD ARE MONSTERS! YOU ARE-!"

A fist smashed through the wall right next to the Hyuuga elder's head. His eyes grew wide.

"Don't…ever…call me…or Anna…a monster." Naruto seethed, pulling his hand out of the wall. He released his grip on the Hyuuga. The elder sank to the ground as drool and saliva dripped out of the corners of his mouth. He was unconscious.

The claws on his hands disappeared. Naruto walked to the center of the room. He looked around at what he had done. What HE had done. He had done this himself. The Kyuubi hadn't even talked to him. He noticed some Hyuugas weren't breathing. Naruto sank to the ground and wept. He really was a monster.

"Daddy…"

Naruto looked up. Anna sat in front of him. She stared at him as tears rolled down his face. She almost died. He had saved her, but now he had to leave Konoha. There was no way he would get away with this. Noboby trusted him, so he couldn't snitch on the elders. He had killed on his own accord. And what was worse, Anna had witnessed it. Now…she would be just like the rest. Hated him…

"Daddy!" Anna yelled happily as she threw her arms around his neck. Naruto stumbled back a bit and landed on his butt, surprised at this gesture. He looked down at Anna. She looked up at him. She was shaking and tears were also falling from her eyes. Despite this, she was smiling.

"No, Anna. I'm not…I…killed. I can't be your father anymore. I'm…a monster." Naruto said miserably.

"No!" Anna said firmly, shaking her head. "Naruto…nice…daddy. Anna…love…daddy."

The girl buried her face in his chest. Naruto stared at the top of the girl's head. A pried Anna off him and placed her on the ground. She opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced when Naruto placed his hand on her head. Anna looked at him. He grinned widely at the girl.

"You're one amazing girl, Anna." Naruto smiled. "But I still don't know where you learn those words." He removed his hand from her head. Anna smiled at him. She tried to stand up but fell over. She still couldn't walk. Naruto bent down and picked up the girl.

"Let's go." Naruto said. He left with Anna in his arms.

X.X.X

"Naruto-kun?"

Yamato stepped inside Naruto's apartment. He had found the boy's mourning clothes outside his house in the mud. He also couldn't find the boy anywhere at the funeral. He looked around the small room. It was a mess.

"Naruto-kun?" Yamato tried again. Still no answer. He had left early to see if Naruto had really skipped the funeral. He wasn't here. Where could he be?

Yamato spotted a folded piece of paper lying on top of Naruto's desk. Curious, Yamato picked up the parchment and unfolded it. He recognized Naruto's hand-writing immediately. He quickly scanned the letter.

"…No…" Yamato whispered. He pocketed the letter and shot out the door. The rain pelleted his body as he ran through the streets. What he read…he couldn't believe it.

X.X.X

Naruto looked back one last time at the Konoha village. It seemed very small, but he had traveled quite a distance. It was barely bigger than a dot to him now. Rain fell on his body. Anna tried her best to catch some falling drops in her mouth.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Age, fourteen. Former member of team eight. Guilty of murder. Missing Konoha ninja. Container of the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Yoko." Naruto said in monotone. He looked down at Anna. She smiled at him.

"Adoptive father of Anna." Naruto added. He looked back at Konoha. Holding Anna tightly in his arms, he ran down the road.

"This is for the best." Naruto said. He disappeared into the forest.

X.X.X

A/N: That was a lot longer than I thought it would be. It was…fine…maybe a bit shabby. You tell me. Did you like what I did?

Yep. Naruto ran away with Anna. Those Hyuuga elders were going to kill Anna. Bad move on their part. I want to make it clear that the Kyuubi had no influence on Naruto when he attacked the elders. The eyes were just the mark left by the Kyuubi during his last shift. You should know that.

Okay, I may get positive comments about this, or negative comments about this. Probably both, but we'll see. If you think that it is stupid that Naruto ran away from Konoha, please rethink your opinion. He's on the verge of losing his own body, he hurt his friends and can't protect them, nobody except for those close to him trust him, his father-like figure died, and he killed some Hyuuga elders that were going to kill Anna. If you were in his position, would you run away? Go on, tell me.

Anywho, I really hope you guys liked this chapter. I worked really hard on it, so that's worth something. You might be thinking I'm gonna do a time skip now. You're wrong. The time skip will come soon, just not now. If you people have questions about what Tayuya is gonna do and what the situation with the elders is gonna be like, it'll be explained in the next chapter. If you have any questions, ask, and I will answer.

Now, please leave a review. It makes me feel like I did a good job. I'll post the next chapter soon. (If school doesn't get in the way)

Kiiam


	16. Asking why

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I'm tired and I am very sorry about taking three weeks to upload the next chapter. School had been hell and all my teachers suck. So much homework…I have so many nightmares. I sorry about taking a while to update and I'll make up for it somehow. Plus, having a little case of writer's block didn't help. This chapter could've used a bit more work, but it was hard deciding how I should present things. Just read it and tell me what you think. There was NO time skip. Enjoy.

**Chapter 16**

_To anyone who reads this,_

_If this letter is in your hands, then I am already gone. My reasons? Go to the Hyuuga mansion and see. My crime is my reason for desertion. I have taken Anna with me, whether this choice was a mistake or not, I am not sure. Don't bother trying to find me. I do not want to be found, nor do I think any of you would want to find me. I admit that I have become too unstable, and on top of my unforgivable crime, I have left the village to find a way to control the demon inside me. Whether my journey is successful or not does not matter…for I shall probably never return. To my friends who stuck by me, I thank you…and…goodbye…_

_From, Naruto_

Yamato reread the letter. He lost track of how many times. He had probably read it more than Kakashi read Icha Icha, and that was saying something. Yamato's teeth clenched. No matter how many times he read that letter, it would never make the words written on it false.

Naruto Uzumaki was gone.

The ANBU raised his eyes from the paper. He was inside the Hyuuga elder council room, with an entire squad of ANBU. They were helping the wounded Hyuugas and taking away the dead ones. All of their wounds were also proof of Naruto's crime. Every Hyuuga in the room had claw marks somewhere on his body. Yamato cursed silently to himself.

"Sir, all of the wounded have been transferred to the hospital. Do you have any orders for those of us on standby?"

"Hm? Oh, ah, yes." Yamato nodded, his squad member's voice breaking through his train of thought. "I want you and a few others to patrol the outside of the village. See if you can find the target."

He hated referring to Naruto like that.

"Yes sir." The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Yamato leaned back against the wall and let out a frustrated sigh.

To think such chaos and frenzy could take place only hours after such a depressing time. Yamato had gone to Naruto's house after the hokage's burial was finished. The man had been curious to as why Naruto did not attend Sarutobi's funeral. He had thought the boy would be the one that would want to see the man off the most. He had left all his friends and acquaintances to mourn, and made the short walk to to Naruto's house. It had been then when he found the letter.

Yamato had been shocked when he read it. He was still shocked after reading it so many times. He knew Naruto had been the one who wrote it, but by the way it was worded, anyone who knew him like the way he did would think a completely different person wrote it. Yamato did not believe what the letter told at first, but a trip to the Hyuuga mansion proved otherwise.

In the letter, the boy had confessed to the crime of killing of some of the Hyuuga elders and wounding the rest. He had taken Anna with him, which Yamato guessed was why Naruto had gone to the Hyuuga mansion. Yamato also guessed from the letter, that Naruto had originally gone to the Hyuuga mansion to say goodbye to his adopted daughter, as he had already decided on leaving the village. The mystery was why Naruto had attacked all the elders and why he ended up taking Anna with him. Some event not stated in the letter was the cause of Naruto's actions. Hopefully, through investigating, Yamato would find the answer.

Of course, not many knew of this issue. Yamato had been discreet when he reported Naruto's supposed crime. Only after seeing the wounded and dead Hyuugas at the mansion for himself did Yamato notify the new hokage of this. He had pulled Tsunade away from the funeral and told her about what he had seen. He had also shared with her the letter Naruto had written. Saying that the woman had been shocked would be an understatement. Yamato could not describe the expression on her face after she read the letter. Remembering it made him feel sad and powerless for some reason. He hated it.

Tsunade had then reported it to Jiraiya, who gather up a few ANBU to access the situation. Things hadn't been kept very quiet as they had hoped though. Anko voiced her protest when Yamato told her, alerting many people around her. The depressing atmosphere in funeral had been changed to shocked and afraid. Yamato sighed. Naruto was already hated in the village…this just added to it even more.

But then again…that was one of the reasons why he had left…wasn't it?

"Anything interesting in here?"

"Not really." Yamato sighed. Anko stood beside him. She whistled and looked around the room.

"Whoo! The brat must've really gone crazy here." Anko smirked. "He tore this place apart."

"…Anko…"

"…It's sad…isn't it?"

Yamato looked at his friend with sympathy. The woman's smirk turned into a sad frown. He knew it pained her to see such a sight, and knowing her student caused it made it even worse.

Yamato could only imagine how Hinata and Shikamaru must be feeling. They had also learned of Naruto's crime. Shikamaru had been shocked, no, much more than shocked. Hinata…Yamato couldn't even tell how she felt after she had learned. Her expression had been unreadable.

"By the way, is Shikamaru…" Yamato started.

"He should be finishing up right now." Anko replied.

"I see. I wonder what will happen." Yamato mused.

No one forgot about the new girl that Shikamaru had taken in. Tayuya had gone to the council for trial. Shikamaru had gone to defend her. Why he did this? Yamato and Anko had a pretty good idea why.

"She had the curse mark too, didn't she?" Yamato asked.

"Sure did. That's probably why Shikamaru is trying to get her off the hook." Anko said. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "If he had questions about the curse mark, he could've asked me."

"You don't know anything about it either, as I'm sure you know." Yamato smiled. "You're seal has remained inactive since after we rescued you."

"Yeah…even though I have it, I don't know a thing about it." Anko sighed. She touched the black mark on her neck. She looked down sadly. "I feel like I'm a failure as a teacher."

"How so?"

"I wasn't able to help Naruto…and I can't help Shikamaru with the curse mark. It frustrates and saddens me to know that I can't help my own students." Anko said sadly.

"Anko…" Yamato said softly. He wanted to say something to her, something encouraging that would make her feel better. No words of comfort came to mind.

"Ah. Being depressed sucks. And it's been happening a lot lately." Anko laughed heartily. She smiled with her eyes closed halfway. "Things are just so…I can't put it in words…"

"Neither can I." Yamato agreed.

"So, has the old man said anything yet?"

"No." Yamato sighed, shaking his head. "Ibiki is going to wait a while and see if he calms down a bit. Though the way he looked, I think they might have drug him to get him to cooperate."

"Naruto really freaked him out, didn't he?" Anko sighed.

They were referring to the leader of the Hyuuga elders. When Yamato's team had gone to the mansion, the old man had been out cold. When he had come to, he had gone crazy. The events that had partaken inside the mansion seemed to had done something to his mind. They had thought they could get some information out of the Hyuuga elder, but when anyone tried to get near him the man would start yelling and screaming in fear. Naruto must have been the cause of the man's distressed state, which was why they were so intent on getting information off the old man. Yamato had a hunch that the elder's mind had the answers he wanted.

"Ibiki must be pretty impatient right now. He never liked waiting much." Anko smiled. She frowned a second later. "Makes you wonder what the brat did to do that to that old coot."

"Yes." Yamato nodded.

"I mean, I don't feel sorry for the maniacal bastard, he did try to take Anna away from Naruto, but jeez! What did that kid do?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." Yamato sighed. "Hopefully he'll become approachable within the next few hours. I'm going to head over and see if there's anything I can do. What are you going to do?"

"Home. It's been a bad day." Anko sighed. She shook her head sadly. "Oh Naruto…"

"It's okay." Yamato said, putting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"No…no it's not."

X.X.X

"What a shithole." Tayuya chuckled as she kicked open the door to Shikamaru's room with her good leg. Shikamaru groaned and followed in after her.

"Could you not kick open the doors? My mom will have a fuss if the door gets broken." Shikamaru said.

"Hey, I'm living here now. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine." Tayuya smiled. She sat down on his bed.

The Nara boy grumbled. He was really starting to regret saving her in the arena and at the council.

They had just gotten back from Tayuya's trial. The girl had been surprisingly nervous throughout the entire meeting, and the elders had been pretty harsh. Imprisonment and interrogation was suggested, but Shikamaru made sure nothing happened to the girl.

Shikamaru had offered to be the one to look over Tayuya. The council had protested, but the boy pointed out that the girl would be able to help him. He had showed the men his curse mark and compared it to Tayuya's. Shikamaru had said that he only needed her to help him get rid of the curse mark. Shikamaru had admitted that he was desperate for the girl's help and would make sure would be kept under control and would always be under his supervision. It was troublesome, but Shikamaru really wanted to learn how to control the mark.

Surprisingly enough, the council had agreed. It had surprised Shikamaru to say the least, but the council said that maybe if Tayuya warmed up to him, she would be more willing to cooperate with Konoha. The council wanted to know where Orochimaru's hideout was so they could put down how ever many followers he had left. With Tayuya's help, they could make sure Orochimaru would never come back to haunt Konoha and Shikamaru would find a way to control the curse mark. Everyone wins.

Unfortunately, this also meant taking care of the girl. Tayuya had a foul-mouth, enjoyed causing Shikamaru to suffer, and hated cooperating with anyone. Shikamaru had been astonished when his mom had agreed to let the girl stay with them. What scared Shikamaru the most was that his mom and Tayuya seemed to take a liking to each other. Something told him that he was going to have to deal with a lot of shit in the future. He really started to regret saving that troublesome girl.

"Can you get off my bed?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yours? Oh please, pineapple-head, you sleep on the floor." Tayuya replied. She turned her back to him and pulled up the blankets.

"You've got to be kidding me." Shikamaru sighed.

He turned off the lights and turned on his night light. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

He silently wondered where Naruto was. It had been quite a shock when he learned of his departure. Shikamaru closed his eyes.

He had a good idea as to why he left. Was it because he felt this was how he could protect everyone? Most likely. Naruto probably didn't want to cause any harm to anyone ever again. Hinata had told him about what happened on the roof when the hokage had been killed. He couldn't even imagine how bad it must've been.

Shikamaru sighed again. Naruto had gone off the deep end. He was guilty of murder and a missing nin of Konoha, only at the age of fourteen. Shikamaru clenched his fists.

He wished he could have gone with him.

X.X.X

"_W-Where am I?"_

_A small boy looked around him. Why he was where he was, he was not sure. It scared him. He had remembered the beating. It was fresh in his mind. The villagers had come to get him again. They had really gone far this time around. _

_The boy, no older than six looked around the room. He couldn't see anything. He could see the rest of his body very clearly, but he couldn't see anything around him or even what he was standing on. Everything was black._

"_Is this…hell?"_

"_**I can't imagine it being much worse."**_

_The boy screamed. Suddenly everything around him became visible. It was like something had removed a blindfold from his eyes all of a sudden. The boy screamed again. Two large red eyes glared down at him. A large mouth was twisted into an annoyed frown. Bars resembling a cage was set in front of the eyes and mouth. The boy screamed again._

"_**QUIET BRAT!"**_

_The boy's eyes widened. He stared at the face that had just shouted at him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. The boy was petrified. He started bawling._

"…_**You're crying?"**_

"_W-Where am I?" The boy sobbed. "I-I'm scared. I w-want this p-place to go a-away!"_

"_**Tch. That ain't gonna happen." **__The face growled. It stared down at the boy. The red eyes narrowed. __**"You really are weak…"**_

"_Sniff…What?"_

"_**I SAID YOU'RE WEAK YOU LITTLE SHIT!"**_

"_WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" The boy sobbed loudly, frightened of the creature._

_The one of the red eyes twitched. This was just annoying. This boy…he was him, wasn't he? The child he was inside of. The creature silently wondered how the boy had even gotten here. He really wished he hadn't come, he was as annoying as hell._

"_WWAAAAAAAH!" The boy continued to sob. "Somebody help me! Make the meanies go away!"_

"_**SHUT THE HELL UP!"**_

_The boy's mouth shut immediately and the tears stopped. He stared fearfully into the eyes of the creature. The eyes glared back at him. Menacing was no where near a good enough word to describe those eyes. The boy started shaking._

"_**I'm right when I say that you're weak. I know all about you, boy." **__The creature's voice snarled. __**"I know about everything. The glares, the isolation, the beatings. I know everything about what's happened in your life. People hate you, don't they?"**_

"_Y-Yeah." The boy nodded. He figured it was best to answer to this whatever it was and not anger it._

"_**So why do you cry?" **__The creature asked. The boy stared back at him dumbly. __**"You think anyone's gonna care if you cry? You think they'll help you just because you ask for it? Well you're dead wrong."**_

"…_Huh…?"_

"_**OPEN YOUR EYES BRAT!" **__The creature roared. __**"NO ONE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT YOU! CRYING ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING! NO MATTER HOW MANY TEARS YOU SHED, THOSE WORTHLESS SCUM WON'T EVER CARE ABOUT YOU! THEY WOULDN'T CARE IF YOU WERE LYING DEAD IN THE STREETS! HELL, THEY PROBABLY WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! NO ONE WILL COME FOR YOU! NO ONE EVER WILL! YOU'VE REALIZED THIS, HAVEN'T YOU?!"**_

"_B-But why?" The boy asked desperately. "I don't know why they hate me! I don't know why the villagers hate me so much! I didn't do anything wrong! I'm a good boy!"_

_The red eyes blinked a few times. The mouth curled into a smirk. The creature started laughing. The boy just stared, dumbfounded by this reaction._

"_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And all this time I thought you knew!" **__The creature barked with laughter. It calmed down very quickly and stared back down at the boy, its mouth was an annoying smirk. __**"You wanna know why those fools hate you so much, don't you?"**_

"…_Yes…"_

"_**It's because I'm inside you."**_

"_What?"_

"_**You like stories, brat?" **__The creature smirked. The boy nodded hesitantly. __**"Then I'll tell you an interesting one. Have you ever heard of the Kyuubi no Yoko?"**_

"_Yes. Iruka-sensei and the hokage talk about him a lot." The boy nodded. "He was the demon fox that almost destroyed our village. The Yondaime killed him though."_

"_**Ha! That's funny!"**_

"_W-What do you mean?"_

"_**I can't be killed." **__The creature grinned evilly._

"_W-Wait…did you say…I…?"_

"_**You've heard wrong kid. That's not what happened." **__The creature chuckled. __**"You know that Yondaime guy everyone loves so much and how he 'killed' the Kyuubi? Well, he didn't kill him. He sealed the demon away."**_

"_Sealed?"_

"_**Yep. Demons can't be killed, but sealed away inside a living human being. That's the only way to prevent a demon from wrecking havoc upon the world." **__The creature frowned. __**"The Kyuubi fought with the Yondaime. The demon's power far surpassed that of one puny human's. But the Kyuubi was cocky, which was a bad mistake on his part. His overconfidence was what gave the Yondaime the chance he needed to seal away the Kyuubi in a newborn baby and save the village. Unfortunately for him, a living sacrifice is also needed in order to seal away demons. The Yondaime died sealing away the Kyuubi inside that newborn child. Do you know who that child was?"**_

"_No…" The boy shook his head. A sudden sense of dread overwhelmed him._

"_**The child was you."**_

_The boy stiffened. He stared at the red eyes with his wide white ones. The Kyuubi was sealed away inside of…him? Then what was he talking to? Realization dawned upone the boy._

"_When you said you can't be killed…and a baby sealed inside…" The boy paused. He stared straight into the red eyes. "You're the Kyuubi no Yoko?"_

"_**YES! I AM THE ALMIGHTY NINE-TAILED FOX DEMON, THE KYUUBI NO YOKO!" **__The fox roared, his enormous body becoming fully visible to the boy. __**"I am the reason the villagers hate you so much! They hate me, thus, they hate you. Since you are my host, they see you as a monster. They see you as a human reincarnation of you! That is why they hate you, fear you, hurt you, all because they think that you are me." **__The Kyuubi cackled. __**"What a joke! They think YOU could become something like me? Don't make me laugh! You're nothing like me! You're weak, small, worthless, innocent…and human." **__The Kyuubi seemed to spit out the word. __**"To think I could be sealed inside someone as weak as you. Someone like you is not worthy of someone such as me, yet you are treated as though you are exactly like me. HA! As if you could ever be as strong as me! What an epic sham!"**_

_The boy listened to the Kyuubi laugh. The boy's expression was emotionless and unreadable. The boy's mind was in disarray, though he felt like he understood everything now. And he did. It all made sense now. The hateful glares, the disapproving glances, the scared faces, the lonely isolation, and why he was hurt so much. The reason for why all the villagers of Konoha hated him so much became clear. _

_They thought he was the Kyuubi. They thought that if they didn't do something about him, he'd go slaughtering everything in sight, just like the Kyuubi. They thought he was a threat to the village, just like the Kyuubi. They thought he was scary and dangerous, just like the Kyuubi. That was exactly it._

_They all thought like he was just like the Kyuubi._

_The boy looked up at the laughing fox. The demon was roaring with laughter, as if the whole thing was just one big joke. The fox had been there all his life, never speaking to him, never talking to him, not doing anything. He hadn't even known that the creature still existed, or that he was inside his body. What else didn't he know? He was taking the hurt for everything the Kyuubi had done._

_With this thought, something inside the boy snapped._

_He glared at the Kyuubi's laughing face. All feeling of sadness, fear, depression, paranoia, and terror were replaced with anger, hate, understanding, irritation, fury, and rage. The boy's fists clenched by his sides and his teeth gritted together. _

_He was, for the first time in his life, absolutely pissed._

"_SHUT UP YOU STUPID, STINKY, UGLY, FAT, SON OF A BITCH BASTARD OF A FUR BALL!" The boy roared at the top of his lungs. The Kyuubi stopped laughing and looked down at the boy with a shocked expression. The demon's face contorted in anger._

"_**What did you say, brat?"**_

"_You heard me, fur ball." The boy growled. "Thanks to you, I know the reason for all my problems. It's because of what you did in the past that I have to suffer the villagers torture. It's why no one cares about me." The boy's frown twisted into a smirk. "And you know what I just realized?"_

"…_**What?"**_

"_I just don't give a damn anymore." The boy sighed. "Those villagers are just way too stupid. What do I care if scum like that hate me or not. They're too stupid to realize that I'm not you." The boy glared up at the demon, his blue eyes staring right into the fox's red ones. "You're right. I'm not you and never will be. I am Naruto Uzumaki, not the Kyuubi no Yoko. What pisses me off is that the villagers don't seem to get that fact. What pisses me off even more is that you're the reason my life it hell. For the first time in my life, I don't feel like crying." The boy sighed. "I just feel like I want to take a nap."_

_The Kyuubi stared down at the small boy. He was shocked. A mere mortal, a child no less, had yelled at him. He had told him off. He had cursed him and the villagers. This kid…this mortal…_

"_**You've got guts." **__The Kyuubi smirked, voicing his thoughts. The boy, Naruto, stared back up at him. __**"You just yelled at a demon, the nine-tailed fox no less. For a snot-nosed brat, you've sure got a lot of balls. And a wide vocabulary for someone so young."**_

"_Can it, fur ball!" Naruto snapped._

"_**Keh. I'm starting to miss the sobbing brat from earlier." **__The Kyuubi muttered. He smirked down at his host. __**"I've seen you in a new light, kit."**_

"…_Kit?" Naruto questioned._

"_**Hey, you call me fur ball, I call you kit. Any protests?" **__Naruto remained silent. __**"Good. Now then, I think we both found something in common here. We both hate the village and its residents."**_

"_Wrong."_

"_**Eh?"**_

"_I just strongly dislike them." Naruto shrugged. "I can't help it if their dumb enough to think a kid could actually harm them."_

"_**Whatever." **__The Kyuubi rolled his eyes. He smiled, revealing his sharp jagged teeth. __**"I've decided to…assist…you. I'm gonna make you strong."**_

"_Huh?"_

"_**Don't get me wrong, I hate you." **__The Kyuubi frowned. Naruto glared at him. __**"I think that you're weak, inferior, bratty, and stupid. But we can change one of those attributes. If you want, I can make you strong. I can train you."**_

"_Train me?"_

"_**Yes. You want to become strong so the villagers won't pick on you. You want to be able to fend for yourself, yes?" **__The Kyuubi asked. Naruto nodded. __**"Good. I want to have a host that is strong, so this will be killing two birds with one stone. I'll shape you into the kind of person we both want. What do you say?"**_

_Naruto thought for a moment. Iruka-sensei's training at the academy was boring, and he skipped out on most classes anyway…so maybe the Kyuubi's training would be more beneficial. He was a super strong demon fox after all. He could probably teach him a thing or two._

"_What the heck, I've got nothing to lose." Naruto shrugged. "When do we start?"_

"_**Tomorrow." **__The Kyuubi smirked. __**"And don't worry, all you're wounds will be healed when you wake up."**_

_Naruto's eyes widened. That's right! The villagers had beaten him before he blacked out and came here! He arched an eyebrow at the Kyuubi._

"_How can you heal my wounds?"_

"_**Because I have magical powers." **__The Kyuubi smirked. __**"I'll wake you up when our training begins. And when I want to speak with you again, I'll bring you back."**_

"_To this mindscape?" Naruto asked._

"_**Sure, let's call it that." **__The Kyuubi chuckled. He smiled down at the boy. __**"We're going to hear from each other quite often now. Maybe one of these days I can convince you to finish the job I started…"**_

"_That ain't gonna happen." Naruto sighed. "See you in the morning I guess, right partner?"_

"_**Don't call me that." **__The Kyuubi growled. __**"If this cage wasn't in my way, I'd rip you apart."**_

"_The cage represents the seal, right?" Naruto said, looking at the piece of paper marked "Seal" on the Kyuubi's cage. "You aren't gonna get out for a long time."_

"_**Leave. We'll soon see how dedicated you are to training. My hopes aren't too high considering your grades in school." **__The Kyuubi said._

"_Then I'll show you how dedicated I am." Naruto smirked. "And maybe one day, surpass you in strength."_

"_**HA! That's funny!" **__The Kyuubi cackled. Darkness covered the fox's body until all Naruto could see was the eyes and mouth inside the cage again. __**"Now get out of my sight." **__Naruto eyes widened. He blacked out._

_The boy awoke, his body sprawled out against the ground. Naruto picked himself up and overlooked himself. All his wounds were healed. Naruto smiled and turned looked down the deserted village streets._

"_Look out Konoha, there's a new Naruto Uzumaki in town." The blond haired boy smirked. He turned and ran down the street, heading for his crappy apartment._

X.X.X

Naruto's eyes shot open. He slowed down his breathing and calmed himself down. Looks like he had fallen asleep for a bit. He had been running for a long time before he set up camp. He closed his eyes again. He could hear the snaps and pops from the fire. He also felt something pressing against his knee.

The blond opened his eyes and looked to his right to see Anna sitting beside him with her hand on his knee. She was watching the fire with fascination and would jump every time a spark flew from their source of warmth. The girl slowly reached forward with her tiny hand.

Naruto grabbed it before she learned firsthand how hot fire was.

"No." Naruto said solemnly. Anna simply smiled and crawled onto his lap. Her jaws opened for a yawn and shifted a bit, trying to find a comfortable position. Naruto stared into the flames. His thoughts focused on the dream he just had.

That was when he first met the Kyuubi. The time when he finally became aware of everything around him.

His first trip to his mindscape had changed his life. It was at that time he realized how harsh and cruel the world was, and no amount of crying or suffering was going to change things. That had been one thing the Kyuubi taught him…and probably one of the only things the fur ball had ever said that Naruto took to heart. You can keep crying and accept what kind of shit is handed to you on a day to day basis, or you can turn things around through your own power. Naruto had chosen to fight.

The boy chuckled to himself. With that idea in his mind, it seemed painfully ironic at this point. Chosen to fight? Recently, Naruto had been on a major losing streak with the Kyuubi, and he didn't even raise his fists. He had practically given himself to the Kyuubi so many times it wasn't even funny. He had chosen to fight…the irony was just sickening.

Naruto sighed. He hadn't completely stopped resisting the Kyuubi though. If he had, he would be in his mindscape walking into the cage at this very moment. Instead, he had decided to fight a way to resist the Kyuubi without anyone around him that he could harm. But why? For what reason did he even try to resist the beast? It was probably a lost cause anyway, considering how many times he had gone into Partial Shift and how much his face had been marked by the Kyuubi. So why did he still fight against the Kyuubi?

Naruto looked down at the now sleeping girl in his lap. He stroked her hair lovingly. He supposed she was one of the reasons. He didn't want to become a monster, not while she was still with him. Naruto sighed.

He remembered that time. Back when the Kyuubi had taken control.

After Naruto had jumped into the Kyuubi's cage and the demon's chakra had overwhelmed him, he felt a tiny tick in the back of his head, and then, nothing. He remembered floating, suspended in a never-ending blackness. But he felt…really good. It was pure bliss. He had felt nothing. No pain, no sadness, no anger, not even happiness, but it felt wonderful. Naruto never wanted the amazing sensation to end. He had felt his eyelids get heavy, and his head getting fuzzy. He could feel his eyes slowly starting to close, and as he did so, the wonderful feeling started to grow.

Then he heard a voice.

He remembered how his eyes had shot open. He remembered how he had looked around frantically in the blackness, searching for something, but he couldn't remember what. Then he heard the voice again, but it sounded like a cry…from a small child…

A vision had appeared in front of Naruto. It was like a mirrior that reflected the outside world. He had seen a red haired boy that looked like him standing on the roof where the hokage and Hachibi, or Orochimaru, had fought. There was a girl holding a small child in her arms. Naruto recognized her as Hinata, and the one in her arms as Anna. The hokage's dead body laid a few feet away and a headless body was sinking down a wall. The red-haired boy started to advance towards Naruto's friend and daughter. The boy's lips had moved, but Naruto didn't hear anything.

He remembered feeling a sudden pain in his chest. The pain was unbearable and unlike anything he had ever felt before. The amount of hurt he had felt brought tears to his eyes. Naruto had tried to grab the image, but it disappeared before he could even raise his hand. He started to panic. Why, he wasn't sure, but he knew that he had to get out of wherever he was.

He had kicked around frantically, clawing and swinging in all directions. The pain kept on growing. Naruto had cried out in pain and frustration, one emotion that had also seemed to come back to him.

Then, like a sheet of paper, the blackness was ripped in half.

Naruto had looked through the hole he had torn. He could see debris in the room he was looking into. They looked like remains of bars of a cage. A boy with red hair and whose face was just like his was laughing insanely inside the room.

Naruto had jumped through the hole, his chakra claws already around his fingers. He remembered his claws sinking into the boy's back. No blood came out of him, but the boy must have felt it. The boy had cried out, but it didn't sound like it was in pain, but more out of fear or anger. The boy had looked at Naruto with a surprised, fearful, and menacing look. When Naruto looked into the boy's eyes, he was sure that it was the Kyuubi he had stabbed.

The boy had thrashed around, trying get Naruto off of him, but it was no use. Naruto only dug his claws deeper into the boy's back to prevent escape. The demon yelled, saying that he didn't want to go back and other things Naruto hadn't really listened to. The Kyuubi boy suddenly went limp and fell to the ground. Red chakra started to rise from his body and dissipate into the air. Naruto had stared down at him with an emotionless face, while the Kyuubi boy hatefully glared at him with a menacing face.

"**How…did you…you're supposed to be…" **The Kyuubi had snarled.

He started to grow more transparent as more red chakra lifted from his body, and Naruto noticed that the shattered bars were starting to repair themselves. The Kyuubi slammed his fist into the floor, cursing the blond haired boy. He glared at Naruto one last time before disappearing.

"**This isn't over. You got lucky this time…but it won't happen again. I won't be caught off guard again. Next time…I'll make sure to dispose of you myself…" **The Kyuubi boy had smiled sinisterly before disappearing and before Naruto's vision went black.

When everything became clear again, Naruto found himself on the roof where he had found the old hokage's body. His knees were on the roof, and his bloody hands lay limp by his sides. He had raised his head to see Hinata and Anna. Relief had washed over him, but was replaced with sadness when he saw Anna's crying face. All emotion left him when he saw her face, though he realized one thing…

…The crying voice he had heard in that strange blackness…was Anna…

Naruto had heard Hinata call his name, but he didn't care. He didn't even care when ANBU had jumped on him and tied him down. He barely took notice to Jiraiya and Tsunade's arrival. He felt nothing.

Back in the present, Naruto stared at his daughter. He knew that she had been the one that called him back. She had been the one that saved him.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly as dark memories came upon him. He remembered that Hyuuga elder about to kill her, and he remembered the Kyuubi, using his body, advancing towards her and Hinata, preparing to kill them.

He was still tied to the girl. There was no way he was going to become a monster, not while she was still here. He knew that if he let the Kyuubi take control, the girl would never smile again. Naruto would make sure nothing happened to Anna. Her life came before his own.

Naruto slowly stood up, as not to wake Anna who he carried in his arms. He put out the fire and walked over to his backpack. He rummaged out inside for a bit until he found what he was looking for.

He pulled out a large blanket and sat against a tree. He wrapped in around his body, making sure to cover Anna as well. He made sure the blanket came up to at least her neck so she could get as much warmth as possible.

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost immediately. Anna slept comfortably against his chest, a contented smile on her face.

X.X.X

Hinata awoke. She still felt sleepy though, as she had spent most of last night crying. She uncurled herself and got out of bed. She slowly got dressed and prepared herself for the day. She made her way out of her room.

She walked down the halls. A few ANBU and Hyuugas would occasionally pass her. She could hear other people talking a little ways down the hall, where the elders' meeting room was.

"Oh, Hinata."

The Hyuuga heiress turned to see her father walking towards her. He stopped in front of her and she looked back at him with sad eyes.

"May I ask, where you are headed?" Hiashi asked pleasantly.

"Out. I…I need some time to think." Hinata replied quietly.

"Are…are you feeling okay?" Hiashi asked a bit hesitantly.

"Of course I am." Hinata gave her father a fake smile. "Why would you think something was wrong?" She walked down the hall towards the front door.

Hiashi stared after his daughter. He sighed. He'd kill Naruto if he ever came back. How could he hurt Hinata like this? And why would he think something was wrong? First off, her closest friend had gone berserk. Second, killed and severely wounded the elders inside their own home. And lastly…

"You always wake up early, Hinata." Hiashi said softly. "It's almost one o'clock."

Something was definitely wrong with her…and he knew all too well what it was…

X.X.X

Hinata made her way through the forest at a slow pace. Her thoughts were on a blond haired missing ninja. Hinata felt miserable.

"Naruto…" Hinata whispered.

Why? She asked herself why he had done what he did. He had murdered and wounded the Hyuuga elders and ran away from the village. She told herself he had left thinking it was best for himself and everyone else, but why had he attacked the elders? There had been no reason to! Was it because he wanted revenge on the elders for trying to isolate him from everyone else? Was it because he had finally let the Kyuubi be the permanent judge of his actions? No, she couldn't believe that. But it frustrated her to not know the answer to her question.

"Why Naruto? Why?!" Hinata yelled, closing her eyes tightly. Tears started to gather in her eyes.

"I've been asking myself that too."

Hinata's eyes shot open and she looked in front of her. She had reached her destination, unbeknownst to her. The crook tree hill. Shikamaru sat leaning against the tree, looking at her through half-lidded eyes. Hinata walked up the hill and sat next to him. She let out a shaky sigh.

"Why are you here?" Hinata asked.

"Probably for the same reasons you are." Shikamaru replied. "Had to get out and think over a few things."

"What happened to…um…Tayuya, was it?"

"She's at home helping my mom out." Shikamaru said. He let out a big yawn. "And let me tell you, that girl sure can snore. Kept me up all night last night."

Hinata giggled a bit. Her changed back to a depressed look. She smiled sadly. "Snoring wasn't the only reason, right?"

Shikamaru sighed. "No. I stayed awake thinking about what's happened. Same with you, right?"

"Yes." Hinata nodded. She closed her eyes. "Why would he do this? Why would he do this to us? Doesn't he know it hurts to know that he's gone? He could have at least…taken us with him…"

"You know…this is where I first met him." Shikamaru said. "He told me I was the first person he met that didn't glare at him, or hate him. He told me he was grateful I had befriended him. And even though we're best friends, I could never figure him out."

"Shikamaru…"

"I still can't figure him out now. He's the one thing I couldn't figure out." Shikamaru sighed.

"Why did he leave? Why…?" Hinata whispered.

"I think I know why."

The two members of team eight looked up to see Haku standing at the foot of the small hill. She had a sympathetic smile on her face. She walked towards the two depressed teens.

"I can relate to him. There are many times when I've thought of deserting the ones I care about, because of the demon inside me." Haku smiled. "Knowing that you could lose control at any given moment in a frightening thing. It's scary to think what you could do to the ones you care about because of your own weakness. You're afraid that you could kill the ones you love because you are unable to control the demon inside you."

"But you didn't run away, Haku!" Hinata pointed out. "He just ran away! We could have helped him but he ran! He's the same as you, only there is one difference. He decides to leave, and you decide to stay!"

"Our situations are different." Haku said. "My demon hardly ever talks to me. It doesn't put the strain on me that the Kyuubi does to Naruto. I've never gone through Partial Shift, nor has anyone pushed me to the point where I willingly let my demon take control of me. Plus, would it have been better or worse if he stayed? He committed murder, Hinata. Would you stay to face up to that crime and even risk hurting your friends?"

"I..I…" Hinata couldn't come up with a response to that.

"But he took Anna with him." Shikamaru said. "If he's so worried about hurting the ones closest to him, why did he take her with him?"

"Because she's the reason he can stay sane." Haku replied. Hinata and Shikamaru stared at her. "We would never be able to understand how Naruto feels about Anna unless we had a child of our own. Your parents may be able to understand the fatherly protectiveness Naruto feels for Anna, but it's still different."

"How?" Hinata asked.

"Naruto has grown up with no one." Haku said. "He has had no family. No one to have with him at night, and no one to wake up with him in the morning. When he adopted Anna, he had a chance at feeling what having a family was like. Anna loves him and he loves her. She is the reason why he is able to resist the Kyuubi so much. He couldn't bare the thought of Anna getting hurt because of him. Naruto fights the Kyuubi because he wants to protect Anna no matter what, and he never wants to see her get hurt."

Hinata and Shikamaru thought over what Haku said. The three-tailed demon container stood there, waiting to see what their response would be. A sob came from Hinata. Shikamaru and Haku looked at her with slightly surprised expressions.

"So…we're not family?" Hinata said quietly. Haku and Shikamaru's eyes widened. "We're not worth protecting? Is that how he feels? We've been there for him all the time…yet he doesn't care how we feel about his leaving? We're not a good enough reason to resist the Kyuubi?"

"I-I'm sure that's not the reason!" Haku said.

"Hinata, what's wrong with you? Naruto cares about us! He left to protect us…right?" Shikamaru said.

"So he doesn't think of us as family? This is how he thinks we won't get hurt?" Hinata sobbed. Tears fell from her eyes. "This hurts way more than what the Kyuubi could do to us."

"Hinata…"

"Naruto…Naruto…" Hinata sobbed. Shikamaru put his hand on her shoulder. Haku tried to soothe the girl with kind words. Shikamaru closed his eyes.

"That's not true. We…mean a lot to him…right? That's why he left…right? To protect us…to keep us from getting hurt…" Shikamaru said quietly.

Somehow, he found that it was very hard to believe his own words.

X.X.X

Naruto walked through the gates of the small village. Anna was on top of his shoulders, shouting and pointing at things she saw. Everything always looked so pretty and new to her. Maybe all this traveling would be good for her. Naruto groaned at the soreness in his back. Sleeping against trees wouldn't really do though.

He had woken up at the crack of dawn and started to move towards the closest village. Naruto had no problems carrying Anna, and she was able to sleep for a few more hours despite being carried. It had probably been the first time in his life Naruto had actually woken up early. He hated it and he envied Anna for being able to sleep late.

Naruto ignored the bustling activity of the village's marketplace and entered a restaurant he spotted to his left. He quickly grabbed a seat and sat down, sighing as he leaned back against his seat. Anna sat next to him, busy clapping her hands together.

"Hello, would you like anything to drink?" A waitress asked as she made her way to Naruto's table.

"Water please. And some milk for her." Naruto pointed to Anna. The waitress nodded and hurried away. Naruto looked at the menu.

He hadn't eaten any breakfast, or lunch for that matter. He didn't have time, as he had to leave immediately. He had to put as much distance between him and Konoha as quickly as possible. His legs were sore from hours and hours of walking. It was almost five o'clock. He'd given Anna some bread to eat along the way, but he assume she was as hungry as he was. This was confirmed when she tired to eat her own shirt.

Naruto sighed. Did they even know he was gone? The elders had made everyone stay away from his home, so he wasn't sure if his letter had been seen by anyone yet. Then again, the Hyuuga mansion was home to many Hyuugas other than the elders, so for the Hyuugas who did go to the hokage's funeral, they would all find out about Naruto's crime when they arrived home.

Naruto wondered if anyone cared that he was gone. Would they just ignore, saying that the lives of a few elders was worth it to get rid of a monster? Or would they hunt him down, try to kill him because they had a good reason to do so now.

The boy didn't regret his actions. It had all been for the best. Besides, he secretly felt good about what he had done to the elders. They were going to kill Anna, so they deserved to die. A terrible way of thinking, but it's what Naruto really thought.

"Here is are your drinks, sir." The waitress small, placing a tall glass of water in front of Naruto and a small cup of milk in front of Anna. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah. I'll have some ramen, and got anything you'd recommend for her?" Naruto asked as Anna pointed to her mouth, signaling she wanted food immediately.

After eating, Naruto made his way through the streets, trying to find an inn. Anna was starting to nod off in his arms. Naruto yawned. He really needed some sleep.

"Hey, did you hear about what happened?"

"To Kisaki Village? Yeah. Terrible isn't it?"

"I hear there were no survivors."

Naruto stopped in his tracks. He focused on the conversing villagers' voices.

"The Wolf is someone to be feared. He's a demon." One villager said.

"H-Hey. Kisaki isn't too far from here, right? What if he comes here?" The second one said nervously.

"Then we're all in danger." The last one said solemnly.

"Yeah. My family and I are gonna leave tomorrow. We're thinking about heading to my mother's house near the border." The first villager said.

"Y-You know…my cousin said he saw the Wolf once." The second villager said. "He said he looks like a demon."

"With how many villages he's destroyed? He's certainly no saint." The third villager said.

Naruto continued walking. The Wolf? This sounded odd to him. He shouldn't really think much of it, as it was probably some stupid rumor, but it made him nervous.

It was like this annoying tick in the back of his head that wouldn't go away.

Naruto's eyes widened. There was a faint tick in the back of his head.

"A container…?" Naruto whispered, holding Anna closer to his body.

A few miles away from the village, a boy no older than fifteen was smiling. He too felt a tick in the back of his head. His white hair fell over his icy blue eyes. His smile revealed sharp incisors and his nails ended in points. The boy chuckled to himself.

"Another container, huh?" The boy chuckled. His cracked his knuckles against his palms. "Should I make his death quick or slow? I'll let…him decide…"

The boy walked towards his new destination, leaving the remains of Kisaki village behind him.

X.X.X

A/N: Um…okay? Was it fine? Maybe it was a bit shabby but…it was good! Right?

Sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than the others. I had to save a few things for the next chapter and hopefully the chapters will go back to being long soon. Naruto is going to do something big in the next few chapters so stay tuned. You'll like it…hopefully. And how was the flashback with Naruto's first meeting with Kyuubi? Did you guys like it?

So yeah. Another demon container. Surprise, surprise. Though you all probably expected that he'd run into another container when he left, didn't you? But the question is, which one is it? It's not the other containers that Naruto has met so far, so it's either the five, six, or seven tailed beast. See if you can guess which one he'll run into.

Anywho, sorry for taking so long to update. I'll post the next one as soon as possible. School sucks, am I right?

Please review. It lets me know I'm writing the story well. They make me feel good inside.

Kiiam


	17. Frustration, confusion, peril

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

A/N: It sure has been a while hasn't it? So many months, so little updates. But it's finally here, the next chapter to _Existence_. Sorry for all of this. Things have been so hectic for me lately. Computer kept breaking, school work kept coming, I was practicing with a new animation software I got, and counting my laziness, I haven't been able to find time to update this story. I was able to update my _Blue and White eyes _one-shot collection, but even now I find myself unable to find time to do so.

To be fair, I was experiencing a bad case of writer's block so I couldn't really go anywhere with the story. I have an idea for what I want to do, but I want Naruto's traveling to go on for a while before I move on to the huge turn point in this story. I can't have him leave the village, walk around for a chapter, then move on to the next big event can I? But now I think I'm over my block and have a few ideas for how everything's going to play out. Take note that it's been a long time, so my writing may be a bit rusty. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Naruto blinked as the morning sunlight hit his eyes. Groaning, he turned his head to the side so the back of his head was facing the light. His right eye peeled open ever so slightly to check the clock next to the bed he currently occupied. It was eight o'clock, still not his time to wake up. The teen sighed and pulled up the covers a bit more, enjoying the euphoric feeling of sleep overwhelming him again.

"DADDY!"

Naruto's breath exploded out of his mouth and gasped as a small girl pounced and landed on his stomach. Though she wasn't very large, or weighed very much for that matter, the surprise she gave him forced all the oxygen out of his lungs.

The small child giggled and rolled off his stomach, smiling up at him as the winded boy gave her a glare. The girl clapped her hands together as she laughed at him. Naruto sighed at his adopted daughter.

"Don't do that again." Naruto warned Anna, waving his finger at her.

"Aah!" The girl responded, pointing to her open mouth.

"We'll get something to eat later. Let's just sleep a bit longer." Naruto coaxed.

"No! Aah!" Anna said shaking her head firmly and pointing to her mouth again. Naruto sighed and slowly made his way out of the cozy bed.

"This is the only time I'm ever getting up early again." Naruto muttered to himself. He picked up Anna as she raised her arms toward him, a sign that meant she wanted to be held. Naruto made his way out the door.

"Maybe I can find a good ramen shop this time." He said mostly to himself.

X.X.X

It was still early, barely morning, so there were hardly any people in the marketplace. Some shops and stands were open for business, while others were finishing the setup for future customers that would come out for breakfast soon. Strangely enough, a few people he passed by were packing up.

Naruto sighed to himself. He gazed up at the sky through half-lidded eyes. There was a rumor that he heard yesterday that would cause someone who valued his or her life to get out of town as fast as they could. He had heard that a village not too far from the one he was currently residing in was destroyed by someone called "The Wolf". Of course, Naruto knew that whoever destroyed that village was not human at all.

That person was no doubt a demon container. Just like himself.

The constant ticking in the back of his head was proof of his claim. He knew a demon was near whenever he felt that annoying click. Naruto also knew that if the ticking started, he had to get to a location where there wasn't ticking as fast as he possibly could. He thanked Kami-sama the ticking had stopped the previous night, or he would have never gotten to sleep.

The ticking had stopped a few minutes after Naruto had noticed it. He could only hope that meant that the container was moving farther away from the village, but he wasn't that naïve. Even if he didn't feel the container's presence anymore, that didn't mean he could feel comfortable staying in the village. Sure he had felt safe enough to spend one night in the place, but he was going to leave as soon as he finished breakfast. It did feel nice to sleep in a bed though…

"Hello there young man!"

Naruto turned to the side. A rather small man with a short scruffy beard was standing beside him with a wide smile. The man had a huge pack that looked twice his size, with scrolls and trinkets hanging out of some of the flaps. The man's head was bald on the top and beads of sweat were dripping down his brow, no doubt from the strain he was putting on himself from carrying the pack.

"Can I interest you in something today?" The man asked.

"Nope." Naruto said shortly. He resumed his walk.

"Oh, come now. You shouldn't be so quick to answer someone's offer." The man smiled. "Think about it. I'm sure I'll have something that will appeal to you."

"Okay, I thought about it. Bye." Naruto said.

"Bye!" Anna giggled, mimicking her father.

"Hold on a moment. Can't you give this old man a moment of your time?" The old man grinned. "I'm a traveling salesman, you see. Travel alone, mind you. But I go a little insane if I don't talk to someone every once in a while. You're not in any rush are you? Besides, I've been itching for a break and it'd be boring if I didn't have someone to talk to."

"…Fine." Naruto replied, not really knowing why he agreed. Maybe it was because he wanted to talk to someone too.

He looked down at Anna.

Well, someone who he knew actually understood him.

The smaller man slowly slid the pack of his shoulder. It felt to the ground with a thump, kicking up a bit of dust. The man wiped his forehead and sat down on a nearby bench.

"Whew! That sure takes a load off!" The man smiled. "Name's Mogi. Pleased to meet ya, lad!"

"Naruto." The boy replied, sitting down next to him.

"Anna." The girl in Naruto's lap smiled.

"Your sister?" Mogi asked.

"Daughter." Naruto answered.

"Wahahahaha! That's a knee slapper!" The man laughed. "Good joke boy, good joke."

"…"

"So, what's a young man like you doing out here so early in the morning?" Mogi asked. "Most boy's your age would rather sleep their mornings away than appreciate the rising sun."

"I'm leaving town." Naruto said.

"Ah, you hear about him too?" Mogi asked.

"Yeah." Naruto said quietly.

"Hm. Pity that. The village too." Mogi sighed. "I had originally come here to sell my goods. Heard this place was good for trading, you know? Imagine my disappointment when I find most everyone has left already."

"Guess that means you couldn't put your pack down. Gotta go to a new town already." Naruto said, smiling slightly.

"Exactly!" The man laughed. "Minute I get into this place a guy runs up to me and tells me about what happened to that village not far from hear. 'Course I want to keep myself in one piece so I think to myself I've got to get out of town as soon as possible. I stay a night, wanting a break and not wanting to travel at night, and now I've got to travel all the way to another village just when I get into a new town."

"Must be hard." Naruto said.

"It wouldn't be if I didn't have so much stuff on my back." The man chuckled. "I love traveling. Love seeing new places, meeting new folks. Keeps a man entertained."

"Are the people you meet nice people?"

"I've seen the good and the bad, my boy. Thankfully more good than bad though." Mogi smiled. He frowned. "I heard that the one who caused all the trouble in the other village was "The Wolf". That true?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded.

"Whoo. Heard of him before. Many times. He's a cruel one, and most villages I've been to got him for ransom." Mogi said.

"So he's well-known?"

"In these parts some know him, but from what I've seen, he's most well known in the land of Waterfall." Mogi said. "Believe it or not, I've met a few men who've claimed to have fought against this little terror."

"Really?!" Naruto said in surprise. It would really help to know what this container looked like so he could better avoid him or her. "Can you tell me what those people said?"

"Well, he's male. A young boy, maybe around your age." Mogi answered. "One man who saw him said his hair is short and spiky. It's supposed to be white, strangely enough. Another said he fights like a beast. He's savage, and most don't even remember the battles, but are physically and mentally scarred. One woman I met once had seen the monster murder her whole family in front of her. Her mother, father, husband, sister, and son."

"He sounds unmerciful." Naruto said quietly.

"It's true, based on these descriptions." Mogi sighed. He broke out into a smile. "But enough about that. I'd rather not think about such terrible things if I have a choice. What do you like to do, lad?"

"Well, I recently started traveling." Naruto said. "I left my village not too long ago. I took her with me, since she is my daughter." The boy pointed at Anna. She smiled in response.

"Whahahahaha! Whoo, you might want to stop joking around about that or I'm gonna start thinking that you're actually telling me the truth!" Mogi laughed. Naruto remained silent. "Got any companions with you?"

"Just her. I kinda wanted to travel alone." Naruto muttered.

"Ah, you must be pretty mature for your age if you're out here all by yourself." Mogi said solemnly. "Got any destination in mind?"

"Not really."

"Going wherever you're feet take ya?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Traveling is fun when you're doing it all the time. Makes you realize just how big this world of ours is." Mogi smiled.

"You don't say." Naruto murmured.

"Well, it's been fun talking to ya lad, but I best be going. You've probably got somewhere to be too I'm sure." Mogi grinned, getting to his feet.

"Yeah." Naruto said, also standing up. Mogi smiled at him.

"Thanks for giving me someone to talk to. I haven't been in a town for a while and I'm glad I got a chance to chat with someone." Mogi grinned.

"Me too." Naruto smiled a bit.

"Me too!" Anna shouted in glee. Mogi grinned at them both.

"You know what? I think I should give you something before I go. It's the least I could do for giving me some of your time."

"You don't have to…"

"No, no! I'd be insulted if I didn't give you something in return!"

Mogi rushed over to his giant pack. He tugged on a few strings hanging off to the side and flaps suddenly rolled upwards, revealing trinkets, souvenirs, scrolls, tools, and other things that looked different in their own way. Some looked older than others, while some looked brand new.

"Anything you'd like. You can have it for free." Mogi smiled.

"Anything?"

"Anything." Mogi repeated.

Naruto looked at all the merchandise. Most of it looked shiny and entertaining, but nothing really appealed to him at all. Sure there were things that he wouldn't have minded getting, but he really didn't see any use for any of this stuff.

"Oooh."

Naruto looked at Anna who was staring at something inside the pack. Naruto followed her gaze until he saw a necklace hanging out from one of the pockets inside the pack. It was a silver necklace with a moon shaped pendant on it. The moon gave off a blue glow, and a small bolt went through it.

"Ah, you like that huh?" Mogi smiled. "Picked it up in Kumo. Clever design, and I can't say that there's anything more beautiful than that in here."

"Mine! Mine!" Anna chanted, reaching her tiny hands towards the necklace.

"I'll take the necklace if you don't mind." Naruto said.

"Good choice." Mogi smiled. He took the necklance out of the pocket and put the necklace on the small child. The girl giggled and played with it.

"Oooh." Anna cooed as she stared at the pendant in wonder.

"Thanks Mogi." Naruto smiled.

"Ha ha. No, thank you lad!" Mogi grinned.

"My name is Naruto, not lad."

"Ho ho! Goodbye then, Naruto!" Mogi laughed, closing up the pack and heaving it back on his shoulders. He walked off and waved Naruto goodbye. "Maybe I'll see you again someday. Have a good one!"

"Nice guy." Naruto said. He turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction that Mogi went.

Naruto sighed. That was probably the last guy he'd talk to for a long time. He really couldn't afford to connect with anyone. That might lead to others discovering him. He had to cut off all connections with anyone he knew so that they wouldn't get hurt. Thinking back, Naruto thought it was pretty stupid to even talk with that guy. Who knows who he might talk to? He might give out his name to someone. What if some ninja from Konoha found out where he was? Naruto mentally slapped himself. How could he be so careless? He couldn't take any risks in his situation. He had to make so that people didn't even know he existed.

He looked down at Anna. The girl had a wide smiled on her face as she played with the pendant in between her hands.

"At least she's happy." Naruto said to himself.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about what would happen if someone found out where he was. He had to get out of the village and as far away from that demon container as possible. He had to get far away from the Wolf.

Naruto could only hope that the container hadn't had felt his presence as well.

X.X.X

"So, how is he?" Anko asked. Ibiki shook his head, an annoyed expression on his face.

"We can't really try anything serious with this man. We can't harm him because of the mental state he's in, but he won't even let anyone near him." Ibiki sighed. "Every time I send a guy in there he starts screaming and yelling until they go away. It's really annoying to deal with this man."

Anko growled to herself. She mimicked Ibiki's irritated expression. The person they were talking about was one of the Hyuuga elders. When the made had awoken from his unconscious state, he had gone crazy, swinging and hitting anything around like someone or something was trying to kill him. The man had suffered mental damage, no doubt from Naruto's mysterious attack against him and the Hyuuga household.

Anko clicked her tongue. If the experience could turn him from calm, stoic, and conniving to a nervous, distressed, and mentally crippled state, Naruto must have really snapped during his little rampage.

"Do you mind if I tried talking to him?" Anko asked.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt…" Ibiki said slowly. "Still, we want to lessen the trauma he's experiencing, not increase it. And with you and your interrogation methods I feel that I should warn you to-"

"I get the message." Anko said. "I might yell though. Don't worry, I won't do anything crazy."

"Hm. Alright then." Ibiki nodded. "Follow me please."

The interrogation expert led Anko down a corridor and stopped in front of a steel door. Ibiki dug into his pocket and pulled out a silver key. He twisted it in the knob and the door opened. He gestured for Anko to step inside. The woman entered the room and Ibiki shut the door behind her. Anko turned around and raised her eyebrows at the door, wondering why Ibiki didn't come with her.

"Probably observing through a one way wall or something." Anko said to herself. She turned her attention towards the person in the room.

An old man sat in a chair, facing a small table. This old man was the head elder at the Hyuuga household, the same one who had made the plan to isolate Naruto and took Anna away from him. He looked like a wreck. His clothes were smeared with blood, his expression was one of fear and panic, and his face was a sickly pale color. Anko pulled up a corner of her mouth to form a smirk and sat down in a seat across from the elder.

"So, feel like talkin' yet?" Anko asked in an upbeat manner. The old man stayed where he was, his eyes not moving from the center of the table.

"…" The Hyuuga elder clenched the sides of his chair.

"I said, feel like talkin' yet?" Anko asked again, her smile transforming into a frown.

"…Mm…ir…" The elder mumbled. His lips trembled.

"HEY! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU AND NARUTO!" Anko shouted.

"STAY BACK!" The Hyuuga screamed, tipping backwards and falling from the chair. He scrambled away, retreating to the corner of the room.

"Jumpy little thing, aren't you." Anko muttered. She advanced towards the terrified old man.

"P-Please! S-S-Stay away! I-I don't want to die!" The elder pleaded, holding up his hand and covering his eyes with the other. He curled up in a ball.

"I'm not going to hurt you old man." Anko growled. "I just want to know what happened with-"

"NO! NO! I'm sorry! I-I didn't…ah…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" The Hyuuga cried out, swinging his arms around as if he was being attacked by something invisible. Anko watched with a bewildered expression.

"What's wrong with him?" Anko whispered.

"I-It hurts… please… I'm b-begging you…" The Hyuuga cried.

He was clutching his chest as if he had been struck there. His fearful eyes followed his unseen assailant. To Anko, it looked like whatever he thought was attacking him was circling him like prey. The man broke out in a fit of screams as he flailed about, screaming for the specter to stop in its assault. Anko marched up to him and lifted him in the air.

"Snap out of it!" Anko shouted, shaking the man. "There's nothing here! It's me, Naruto's sensei!"

The elder suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened and he became limp. He stared up at the ceiling with his mouth open. Anko held up, her eyes not moving away from him.

"Naruto…" The Hyuuga whispered. "That demon boy… that monster… the fox is going to kill me… kill me…"

"No he's not. Naruto isn't here." Anko said shaking him again. "I'm Anko, not Naruto."

"…He's going to kill me. Those monsters, they will kill me." The Hyuuga continued, his head swaying back and forth.

"They? What do you mean they?" Anko asked.

"The demon boy and that tainted daughter of his… they'll kill me… they're killing me…"

"Naruto and… Anna?" Anko asked, her eyes narrowing. "What happened in the Hyuuga house? What did Naruto do, old man?"

"That monster came… he attacked, and killed everyone." The Hyuuga quietly cried. "Revenge. Revenge for what we did. He wants revenge…"

Anko dropped the old man. Revenge? Naruto did this because he wanted revenge on the elders for trying to isolate him from everyone else? That couldn't be it. Naruto wasn't the type of person to do something like that. The real question was what the elders did to make Naruto actually want real revenge.

"What did you guys do?" Anko seethed, completely losing her patience. "What was it? The Kyuubi? Did you attack him?" She remembered one key fact when Naruto left. "Was Anna involved with it?"

The elder's eyes widened. His eyes narrowed at the ceiling. His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth together.

"Yes… that child… she is the cause of all this…" The elder growled. "If only she had just died. If only she hadn't been brought here everything would have been fine. It's all her fault."

"Anna? What are you talking about?" Anko asked. The elder's fearful look returned.

"He took her away. He took her away from here." The elder whispered. A small smile started to form on his lips. "Y-Yes! Of course! The boy will just die on his own! Others will hunt him down, aiming to kill that monstrosity, and with him, so will the child! Neither will ever be a bother again. The Hyuuga clan will be safe, and the world will be rid of the demon… yes… it's perfect."

Anko sighed in frustration and dropped the man to the floor. She turned on her heel and walked out the door.

"Surprisingly, that was more than we ever got out of him." Ibiki sighed as he moved away from the one-way-wall.

"They must've done something to Anna. That's all I can gather from what that insane guy was saying." Anko frowned. "They definitely did something to her, or Naruto wouldn't have reacted like this."

"You don't know that for sure." Ibiki said calmly.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that's it." Anko growled. "All this has something to do with Anna, but we don't have enough information to make a definite answer, do we?"

"No." Ibiki said. "Regardless, the fact remains that Naruto is a threat and is also guilty of committing murder."

"He must've had a reason! The kid just doesn't go around killing people for fun, you know!" Anko shouted angrily.

"Maybe not, but can we really say that the Naruto who killed all those Hyuugas is the Naruto you know?"

Anko and Ibiki turned towards the newcomer who had spoken up. An old man who had bandages wrapped around his face stood before them. His body also seemed to be wrapped in bandages, and he wore a thick robe. He had a scar on his chin, and his face though tired and wrinkled, had also a wise and sagely look to it. Ibiki nodded to him.

"Danzo."

"Ibiki. Anko." Danzo nodded to both of them in turn.

"Hey, what was with that last comment old man?" Anko said sharply.

"I'm saying that the fox may have already taken control of Naruto." Danzo stated. "You claim that the Naruto you know would never do such a thing, but what of the Kyuubi? This would not go past the demon, would it?"

"Tch. That's bullshit." Anko scoffed. "If it was the Kyuubi, why did Naruto take Anna with him? If the fox really had been in control throughout the entire thing then he wouldn't have taken her… he would have probably killed her instead."

"You have a point." Danzo admitted. "But then if Naruto was the one that did it, he is the guilty one, yes?"

"Huh? No! It was the elders!" Anko said.

"You can't be sure of that." Danzo said. "Here are my thoughts on this. The elders were merely trying to do what was best for the village and its people, nothing more. Naruto, not seeing this, was most likely influenced by the Kyuubi and the demon coaxed him in to committing this crime in an act to get revenge for isolating him. Being conscious of his actions he took Anna, still feeling an attachment to her, but still could have been under the influence of the Kyuubi. Who's to say that the boy hasn't already killed the infant?"

"Naruto wouldn't do that!" Anko protested.

"Ah, but you can't be sure, can you?"

"Yes… I… can!" Anko growled menacingly, her fists clenching by her sides.

"You may wish to believe so, but based on what has already happened, it is much more likely that the Kyuubi caused all of this. The elders are the victims, and Naruto is guilty."

"You…"

"I have nothing more to say on this matter." Danzo finished. "I will, however, be sending out some of my own men to, 'take care', of the boy."

Anko's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"The council has already decided. We can't leave a threat like him wandering around the continent. Who knows what havoc he could cause." Danzo sighed.

"But you can't be sure about all this either!" Anko argued. "You're basing this on your biased opinion on him! Naruto isn't the Kyuubi! What don't you understand about that?"

"Does it matter at this point?" Danzo said, glaring at her. "What you say won't matter at this point. Your word doesn't mean a thing in the council or with the village's opinion. We will do what is best for the village, nay, for the world and dispose of the demon boy, be it locking him up… or disposing of him."

"Why you…" Anko stepped towards him. Ibiki grabbed her arm.

"Anko…"

"Hmph." Anko pulled away from him. She shoved past the interrogation expert. She shot a glare back at Danzo.

"If you have something to say, say it." Danzo said, glaring back.

"You're all wrong about him. I get to the bottom of this. Naruto isn't the guilty one in this. I'll find the truth before you use all this as an excuse to kill him…"

Anko slammed the door behind her. Her shoulders sagged.

"I need a drink…"

X.X.X

Shikamaru stared up at the sky. The fluffy white clouds above rolled past him. It made him feel so relaxed…

He rolled backwards as a giant hammer struck where he had just been. He grumbled to himself as his attacker pursued him. He brought he hands together for his signature technique.

…But then a giant hand swatted him away into a tree. Shikamaru rubbed his back as his two attackers rounded on him.

"Wow… you really suck at this don't you?"

Shikamaru looked up at the speaker through half-lidded eyes. An annoying red-head was sitting on top of a third monster that had no arms.

"That hurt. Could you be please be a bit more gentle?" Shikamaru replied yawning.

"Sure, how's this?" The girl smirked. She raised a flute to her lips and played a single note. The monster with the hammer raised its weapon and brought it down on the boy. The impact echoed through the forest.

"Hey, were you really trying to kill me?"

The girl's eyes narrowed. She felt a prick at her neck. She turned her head slightly to see Shikamaru standing beside her on the shoulder of her monster with a kunai at her neck. Freaking substitution technique. He casually reached over and swiped the flute from her.

"Hey!"

"I'm confiscating this." The boy said, hopping off the monster. "I'll give it back when I feel it."

"Go to hell." The girl spat.

The monsters all slumped forward, falling to the ground as if they had lost their life. The girl, also losing her balance, fell to the ground as well. She braced herself, but she never felt the grass. Instead, she heard the voice of that annoying boy.

"You're a really troublesome woman." Shikamaru stated as he looked down at her.

"I told you, my name is Tayuya!" The girl snarled, squirming around in his arms.

"That leg already healed up?" Shikamaru asked, looking at her bandaged leg. Tayuya stopped struggling.

"You're an asshole." She growled.

"And you have a bad mouth." Shikamaru replied. He carried her over to the crook tree where Hinata was sitting with a gentle smile on her face.

"Thank you for helping us train today, Tayuya-san." Hinata smiled, handing the girl a drink as Shikamaru put her down.

"I thought I told you to stop with the honorifics." Tayuya glared at the heiress. Hinata looked away from her piercing gaze.

"S-Sorry." Hinata said quietly.

"Tch, timid little thing aren't you." The flute player scoffed as she downed her drink.

"Y-You're very good at fighting." Hinata said, trying to strike up a conversation. "Was the training back in the sound village hard?"

"Very. Especially since I was one of the few with a mark." Tayuya sighed. "That freaky snake worked us to the bone."

"Did you… like working for Orochimaru?" Hinata asked.

"Please, if I liked working for him I would kill all of you and go back to Sound." Tayuya muttered. "I hated that place."

"How long were you there for?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ah… ever since I was picked up by the snake when I was four years old." Tayuya replied.

"And how old are you now?"

"Is that something you should ask a girl?" Tayuya glowered.

"A girl? Who are you kidding?" Shikamaru smirked.

"Why you little…" Tayuya grabbed his shirt collar.

"Kidding…" Shikamaru frowned, holding his hands up. Tayuya let go of him.

"I'm fourteen as of two months ago." Tayuya said.

"Younger than me, older than Hinata." Shikamaru said. "So you stayed in a place you hate for a full ten years…"

"But why?" Hinata asked.

"It's not like I had a choice. Escaping him is useless. You'll be killed if you try anything." Tayuya sighed. "Plus, my curse mark prevented me from doing anything. That thing is like a hypnosis… it just draws you to the freaky bastard like he was a magnet. Anyone who bears the curse mark is fated to serve lord Orochimaru as long as he lives." She grinned. "But the prick is dead now. All thanks to that guy who left."

Shikamaru sighed and Hinata looked down at her words. That last line reminded them of their friend. Tayuya arched an eyebrow at them. She noticed the sudden change in their attitude.

"Hey, you guys mind telling me a bit more about this kid you're so hung up over?" Tayuya asked, leaning back against the tree.

"About Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah. That kid that left."

"He was a good person. Not a bad person like everyone else is making him out to be." Hinata said. "He was someone irreplaceable."

"When I met him, I had heard he was some outcast who was a slacker who failed at everything he did." Shikamaru sighed. He smiled a bit. "I actually met him here. I was looking for a nice place to take a nap, and to get away from my mom. I had found him here, looking up at the clouds. All the kids at the academy hated him and thought of him as a slacker. Despite knowing this, I greeted him and asked why he was here, but he didn't give a reason. I don't know why I gave him my name, or took a nap next to him. He eventually told me his name, and our friendship started. I slowly learned he wasn't the failure everyone saw him as."

"Why'd you talk to him if you heard bad things about him?" Tayuya asked.

"I'm not sure." Shikamaru sighed. "There was just something about him that made me want to talk to him…"

"Naruto was… someone special, a good friend." Hinata smiled, as if remembering something she had forgotten. "I could always depend on him, and I wished that I could be as brave and confident as he was. He encouraged me when I was feeling down, made us laugh, looked out for us on missions, and always seemed to get through the toughest of situations. He was the person that I respected and admired the most…"

Hinata pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes went glassy. Shikamaru looked down, knowing what she was thinking. His downcast look showed that he felt the same way.

"But then everything started to go wrong." Hinata said. "It started in Wave. The Kyuubi, the demon inside Naruto, started influencing him, making him go crazy. It changed him."

"Whoa, whoa. Back up for a second." Tayuya said. "Kyuubi? The thing that almost destroyed this village a few years back? It's inside of him? He's the Kyuubi?"

"He is not the Kyuubi!" Hinata shouted angrily, glaring at the former sound nin.

"Okay! Jeez…" Tayuya mumbled. "What exactly did it do to him?"

"Like she said, it changed him." Shikamaru said. "I wasn't exactly present during most of his fits, but I learned what happened afterwards. Whenever he got really angry, was in a near death situation, or when someone he cared about was going to get hurt he would use the Kyuubi's power. That's what changed him. Every time he used the demon's power the Kyuubi would have some sort of control over him. During his first few fits he was able to control and contain the power and use it for himself. But after a while the Kyuubi started to have a bigger influence on him. Every time he had one of his fits his physical appearance would change slightly after the power went away. He got slitted pupils, sharp teeth, bigger whisker marks, and most recently, blood red eyes.

"How did the changes happen? Shouldn't the Kyuubi be contained somehow?" Tayuya asked.

"It is." Shikamaru replied. "A seal was supposed to keep the Kyuubi's powers locked away, but Naruto's bloodline trait makes it possible for the Kyuubi to leak out his energy and corrupt Naruto's chakra, increasing the Kyuubi's influence. Naruto's clan, the Unamekei, could release their chakra and mold it into a physical form, like claws or a protective barrier. I noticed the changes in his appearance last time I saw him, before he left the village."

"When was that?"

"The elders of my house, the Hyuuga elders, were having a meeting with Naruto about what had happened. The last time we saw him was after the meeting ended." Hinata said. "He walked out of the room with an emotionless face. We were so happy to see that he was okay. But he didn't feel our happiness. When he saw Anna he suddenly looked miserable and sad. Then the elders said they would have take Anna from him."

"The baby your friend adopted and took with him?" Tayuya asked.

"Yeah." Hinata nodded sadly. "It was all so the village could be 'protected'. I learned later that the plan was to isolate Naruto from the village, the only exception was going on missions that had to be picked carefully so it wouldn't excite the Kyuubi. They thought isolating him like he was before would put the Kyuubi back to sleep. Isolating him from everyone included taking custody of Anna. But that didn't do anything. In the end, he still went berserk and attacked the elders."

"Meh, sounds like those old farts deserved it." Tayuya scoffed. "Stuck up bastards. If I was treated like some animal in a cage it would piss me off too."

"No matter the reasons, it doesn't change the fact that Naruto committed murder. He's a missing nin now, and according to the ninja council, needs to pay for his crime." Shikamaru said exasperatedly. "Personally, I don't think he deserves one bit of this. He would never attack the elders for what they did, especially since he thought it was the best thing to do as well. He's not one to go off a randomly slaughter people. But the reason he did this is still something I can't figure out."

"Wonder why he went back to the Hyuuga house in the first place." Tayuya said thoughtfully.

"My guess is that he wanted to say his goodbyes to Anna." Shikamaru stated. "Haku said that it was because we couldn't understand the protectiveness a parent feels for their child. Naruto swore to protect Anna when he adopted her, and he's always succeeded in that. She's his only family."

"But… what about you two and that sensei of yours?" Tayuya asked. "You guys are close right? Why didn't he say goodbye to you."

"We weren't good enough…" Hinata whispered. She could already feel tears starting to fall. "It's because he feels he's not capable of protecting us. Naruto hurt me once while he was in a fit, and he blames himself for what happened to Shikamaru. He thought he would keep us safe by leaving us behind." Hinata broke out into sobs. "But this isn't what we wanted… we could have helped…"

"…Sorry…" Tayuya muttered. Looks like they really cared for this Naruto guy. Did he know how miserable they were right now?

"Hey kiddies!"

The trio turned their heads to see Anko walking towards them with an upbeat smile on her face. She stopped in front of them and looked around the area.

"Huh, looks like you guys really gave it your all during your training. Did you help motivate them sound girl?" Anko grinned, looking at Tayuya.

"A bit. I was really just getting back at pineapple head for breaking my legs." Tayuya smiled back. Shikamaru grunted.

"Glad someone smacked around his lazy ass for me." Anko smirked. "So, you guys want to get something to eat? It's on me."

"So long as it's not a bar…" Shikamaru muttered.

"Um… sensei?"

"Yeah Hinata?" Anko asked, turning towards the girl.

"How is…" The Hyuuga heiress trailed off. Anko frowned.

"Nothing much. I couldn't get enough out of him to get a definite answer." Anko sighed. "But we'll find out what happened. I'll find out, and then we can find Naruto. I promise."

"I hope so… I really hope so…" Hinata sobbed, a new wave of tears falling from her eyes. Anko and Shikamaru looked at her sympathetically.

"Why did it have to end up like this?" Shikamaru whispered, clenching his fists in frustration.

X.X.X

Naruto held Anna tighter against his chest. He tried to keep the girl from looking at the ruin in front of them. He mentally slapped himself for getting to where he was. He knew his sense of direction was bad, but he didn't think that it would land him in the one place he didn't want to be in. It was the exact place he had wanted to avoid, yet the ruined houses and the ashes proved that he was indeed in the exact village he wanted to distance himself from.

Kisaki village, the one that had been destroyed by the Wolf. A demon container.

Anna whimpered. Naruto stroked her hair, trying to make her feel better. He covered her eyes every time they passed a body. This was not something he wanted her to see. Naruto sighed. The stench of death and decay was suffocating. Naruto had never seen so much destruction. Even if this guy was a demon container, how could they raze an entire village like this? Even the children got no mercy. Naruto closed his eyes, remembering about his mission in cloud.

"How can people in this world be so cruel…?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Daddy…" Anna whimpered. The girl was starting to shake.

"It's okay Anna. I'll get us out of here." Naruto assured her. He wasn't sure if she actually understood him, but when she smiled and nuzzled against his chest he guessed that she got the gist of what he was trying to say.

Naruto was relieved that the inside of his head was silent though. No ticking in his head, no demon was around. He wasn't eager to meet this Wolf character, or any other demon container for that matter. Who knows how strong this guy really was? Naruto could already guess he was plenty strong if he could destroy an entire village, even if it was relatively small. Another question was how many tails did his demon have? When he really thought about it, only the higher level tails were left. Gaara had one, Haku had three, Heath had four, and Orochimaru had eight. He hoped if he had to face off against a container that it would be the two-tailed demon. There's no way he could take on five, six, or seven, especially not with Anna around. Then again, what was the relationship this container had with his demon? From the looks of things, either the demon was in control like Orochimaru and Hachibi, or the container just wanted to kill like Gaara and Ichibi. He knew that there was no way that this person was unaffected by the demon like Haku was with Sanbi, and Naruto seriously doubted this would come out of a friendship with the demon like Heath with the Yonbi.

Still, he really hoped that the demon wasn't in control. He didn't want a repeat of what happened in the forest of death during the Chunin exams.

Naruto shook his head. There was no use thinking about these kinds of things. It only made him nervous. Naruto slowly trudged through the village, trying his best to ignore the destruction. He really wished he had a map.

"Ugh…"

Naruto stopped. He knew he had heard something. Someone groaning, and seeming to be in pain. A tiny voice in the back of his head warned him to get away, that it was just his imagination, but he couldn't just leave someone to die in this ruin of death.

The demon container slowly made his way around a house. Anna fearfully clung to her adoptive father's vest. Eventually, a small splotch of yellow appeared on the ground. A battered body slowly started to shift, the splotch turning out to be his hair. Naruto made his way over to the person's side.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked. Despite the pony tail and fringe that fell over his eye, the person was a male that didn't look much older than Naruto himself. Maybe four years older, give or take.

"I can't believe… I was beaten…" The man groaned. "Where was… my back up… un?"

"Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Open your eyes!" Naruto shouted, shaking the man with his free hand. He was out cold.

"D-Daddy…?" Anna whimpered.

"It's okay Anna. He's just unconscious." Naruto said, feeling the guy's pulse.

What was he going to do now? He really didn't have anything to help a critically injured person. Maybe he could carry him back to the village he had left, but could this guy be safely moved? Would he survive the trip? Besides, that would be putting less distance between Naruto himself and Konoha. They must have already sent ninja to look for him, and he had to hide his trial quickly or he would never get away. He couldn't risk going back, but then what could he do to help this guy?

"Well, well, well. Looks like you found my prey. Nice to meetcha, pal."

Naruto's eyes widened. He slowly looked up, already fearing the worst. No… the ticking had started and was already ringing in his ears.

Standing on top of what remained of a house was a boy. This guy looked like Naruto's age, his spikey white hair being held up by a black bandana tied around his head. He smiled, revealing sharp incisors and his nails ended in points. He wore a black shirt, a small brown jacket and ripped pants. He was barefoot and the symbol of the Rock village on his another bandana that was tied around his arm. The metal had a line carved straight across the Rock symbol.

"Hoo hoo… what's this? You're a demon container too…?" The boy asked. He smirked. "So, how many tails you've got? One, two? Why don't you tell me, 'cause I'm really curious."

"…How many tails does yours have?" Naruto asked.

"Tch, ignoring my question. Fine." The teen snorted. He smiled. "I am Jigara, the container of the five-tailed demon dog, the Gobi no Houkou!"

"Five tails…" Naruto said distantly. He couldn't believe it. How in the hell did he not sense this guy?!

"Hm… based on your chakra reserves, I'd say you're pretty high up on the list." Jigara said. "Seven or up. Which one?"

"Nine." Naruto said, glaring at the container. Maybe his tail number would scare him off.

"Nine huh? So you're the Kyuubi then." Jigara said plainly, raising an eyebrow.

"My name is Naruto. You're the Wolf I've been hearing about." The nine-tailed demon container said.

"What, are they calling me a wolf now? How many names are they gonna come up with?" Jigara said to himself, ignoring Naruto. "First it was the Demon, then Mad Dog, then the Hound, and now the Wolf? What's gonna come next?"

"Did you do all of this?" Naruto asked, looking around at the destroyed village.

"I did some of it. He was the one that got flashy with his attacks." Jigara pointed at the unconscious guy in front of Naruto. "Idiot thought he could take me on by himself." The new arrival smirked. "So, you want to fight or what?"

"H-Huh?" Naruto sputtered.

"Fight or not? I'll let… you decide…" Jigara smiled. Naruto shivered. The way that guy smiled didn't make him feel too good. It was predatory, threatening, and he could feel the bloodlust in the air.

"I… don't want to fight." Naruto replied, holding Anna tighter. The girl was shaking.

"Hm… that's too bad." Jigara smirked, crouching on all fours. Naruto's eyes widened. "Just because you won't fight…" He lunged at Naruto. "Doesn't mean that I won't!!!"

Naruto grabbed the unconscious boy and dove backwards, avoiding the demon dog container as he struck the ground, his claws digging into the earth. Naruto held Anna closer and kept a firm arm around the unconscious guy's waist. Only one thought went through Naruto's mind.

"_I have to get away from here!"_

* * *

A/N: There you have. Chapter complete. How was it after such a long time? Any good?

So yep. Recapped some events, introduced Danzo and the Five-tailed demon container, and who is this mystery man Naruto found in the village? Guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter, which hopefully, will take less time to upload than this one did.

Anywho, sorry for the long delay, but I've been busy and I do have other things to do. I hope not too many of you forgot about this fic, and for those of you who remember, I'd appreciate it if you would review so I'm reminded of how good it feels to get feedback for a story. Thanks for reading.

Kiiam


	18. Join the party

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I was finally able to finish this chapter. It was halfway done like four months ago but my dad took my laptop and it broke when I got it back. I have a Mac now. So anyway, here's the new chapter of Existence. A few more characters will be introduced, but not 'till the end. Anyway, I may be a bit rusty, but R&R if you can. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. She had never been so busy or more stressed in her entire life. She had never, in her entire life, ever wanted or thought to be hokage. The only reason she took the job was out of respect for her dear departed sensei. Though, even if she wouldn't admit it, she knew she was the only one who could take on the job. Still, she would much rather be at some casino or bar drinking and gambling the night away. She groaned when she realized that time wouldn't come for a long, long time.

Her sensei had left her a lot of problems to deal with, that's for sure. Her old teammate, the now deceased Orochimaru, had destroyed more than half the village in his attack. Everyone was busy with reconstruction, and even the youngest of men were helping rebuild the damaged houses and streets. Another big issue was the amount of injured who were being cared for in the Konoha hospitals, all of which were full. She also had to make room for the injured sand ninja, who had been forgiven after she had found out they had been tricked by Orochimaru and their Kazekage had been killed. The remaining able sand ninjas had also agreed to help rebuild Konoha in gratitude for their forgiveness, hospitality, and general acceptance of the public. But there were so many injured to take care of that some homes had to be given to the patients temporarily until doctors were able to see them. Tsunade silently thanked the ninja who died during the attack. Those who gave their lives to protect Konoha, and those who attacked it, still had to be put in body bags and buried. Tsunade eyed the huge stack of paper on her desk. She growled to herself. She could never forget the huge amount of paperwork she had to deal with regarding everything that had happened. Complaints, announcements, apologies from the Sand village, papers regarding the number of those injured and those who died, papers regarding those who had to be taken care of, papers regarding what was destroyed and what was still intact, all of them had to read, addressed, and signed. Tsunade resisted the incredibly strong urge to bang her head against the wall.

It wasn't all bad though. She was relieved that the villagers had accepted the Sand and forgave them for what they did. Though a few still held grudges, most believed it was Orochimaru blackmailing the Sand instead of making a deal with him which was what really happened. People were daydream believers. Tsunade was also extremely grateful for those in Wave, their most recent ally, who had sent some of their best workers to help in the reconstruction. Tsunade later found out that the ambassador Wave had sent, Issac, had notified the village via messenger hawk and asked for the help. The workers were eager, saying that they owed Konoha for the help, or rather, the help that one person provided. They had said that without Naruto, their new bridge wouldn't have been built and they would still work under Gato.

Tsunade frowned. That was a more personal issue, but one that caused the most stress.

Naruto had to be found. He had confessed to killing the Hyuuga elders in his letter, and he had given an excuse to be killed in doing so. She had heard ninjas anticipating the hunt, hoping to be sent out to kill the one they had wanted to kill for so long. Those who hated the now missing nin prayed for his death, be it by Konoha ninja or through nature. Tsunade could only imagine how the boy was faring out by himself. Well, he had one other person with him. Anna, his adoptive daughter, had been taken with him. No one really cared if she died or lived. It was Naruto's blood they were truly after.

Truthfully, there was no proof to assume Naruto's crime was unjustified. Those who were close to him speculated that the Hyuuga elders, the people responsible for taking Anna and isolating Naruto, were the ones who had provoked Naruto to do what he did. Tsunade herself wanted to believe that was true, but there was no proof. The only clues they had were those Hyuugas left alive, most of which provided hardly any facts, but blamed Naruto and cursed his very existence.

Their biggest clue was probably the head Hyuuga elder who, unfortunately, was left mentally unstable from his encounter with Naruto. No therapy worked on the man, and even those of the Yamanaka clan, who were experts of the mind and brain, had trouble probing the man's head for information. The Yamanaka's had explained, or tried to explain, that the man had created some sort of mental barrier in his mind that they just couldn't get past. Inochi Yamanaka had said if they could probe a mentally unstable man's head with no problem there would be a lot less crazy people in the world. This is why probing a dead man's body was so easy. There was no activity, no resistance. The man couldn't blatantly reject a foreign presence in his mind. The human brain can be a man's strongest tool, and it was hard to crack the barrier that held all that information.

"Tsunade, you look so worked up. Maybe a massage would help you feel more…"

The new hokage raised her fist.

"J-Just kidding."

Tsunade looked up at her old teammate. Jiraiya stood there with a large smile on his face. The Godaime groaned as she rested the side of her head on her new desk.

"Go away Jiraiya. I'm not in the mood." Tsunade groaned, turning away from her teammate.

"C'mon. That's no way to act when your dear friend is trying to cheer you up. I took time away from my busy schedule to visit you." Jiraiya smiled. "I remember how stressful my favorite student was when he became hokage."

"HE probably didn't have as much to deal with as I do now." Tsunade grumbled. "Do you not see this stack of papers?" She gestured to the pile next to her.

"He used to complain about paperwork too." Jiraiya smiled. He frowned. "I hear you have a meeting with the council about what to do about our missing ninja."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Tsunade mumbled. "It won't matter what I say to them. You know it Jiraiya, all they want is to see him dead. It doesn't matter if I'm the hokage, they don't care about my opinion on this matter at all."

"Even so, you're not showing the backbone sensei wanted you to have." Jiraiya said, crossing his arms. "It's one of the reasons he chose you as his successor, you know. There are already teams mobilizing without notifying you. They all want to be the first to catch Naruto."

"All those idiots forgot what Naruto did to Orochimaru it seems." Tsunade sighed. "They're all ignoring the fact that he's a credible threat now. They could die if they aren't careful."

"I can't say that I really like you talking about him like that…"

"It's a truth that I can't deny at this point." Tsunade shrugged. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her teammate. "I'm hokage now Jiraiya. I can't simply ignore the fact that Naruto isn't a threat. Trust me, I know the kid has a good heart and tries to do what's best for those around him, but that doesn't mean I don't believe he won't cause harm to those around him. He's in a terrible state right now, what with the Kyuubi breaking out so much recently. I'll defend him, but I can't say that he's safe to be around without any doubt in my heart."

"Tsunade…"

"Jiraiya, he killed Orochimaru. Naruto beat him until his head exploded, and crushed his strongest subordinates like they were flies." Tsunade said as she rubbed her temples. "Orochimaru was the strongest rouge nin we knew, and Naruto killed him so easily. You and I know that under the Kyuubi's influence, he'd probably have a pretty good chance of killing us too."

"Too be fair, Orochimaru's hands had been sealed by our sensei before he died, so maybe if he was able to defend himself…" Jiraiya argued.

"I can't really say that I think it would have made much of a difference." Tsunade sighed.

Jiraiya watched as the slug sannin as she turned her head and looked out the window. Tsunade overlooked Konoha village with a wistful look on her face. She took her time examining what had been destroyed and what was left. She glanced at the clusters of people scattered around the village, working hard to rebuild their village. Tsunade sighed and turned back towards the toad sannin. She folded her fingers together and rested her elbows on the table. Her eyes bored into Jiraiya. He stared back.

"I'm the hokage of Konoha village, and I can't let my feelings get in the way of protecting my village." Tsunade said. "If worse comes to worse, we'll have no choice. Just because I care for Naruto, doesn't mean I will put him before Konoha and its villagers."

Jiraiya stared at Tsunade with a deadpan expression. One of the corners of his mouth slowly pulled itself up. He let out a small chuckle.

"Well, I'm happy that you're so serious about protecting the village." Jiraiya smiled. "But I'm sad that you're starting to feel like Naruto is our enemy."

"I don't think that…" Tsunade said quietly.

"I'll be doing some hunting myself." Jiraiya said as he turned around and stepped towards the door. "Not just hunting for the boy, but for some information. There's rumors floating around, Tsunade, and I'm worried that some might be true."

"Rumors…?" Tsunade questioned.

"I plan to leave the village soon. I'll stick around for a little while longer, but not for long." Jiraiya said as he opened the door. "I'll send you a notice if I find anything. Bye!"

The door shut.

"What's going on inside that head of his…" Tsunade sighed. "Shizune! Come in here!"

She needed a beer.

X.X.X

Naruto ran through the demolished streets of the village, hearing crashes close behind him. He held Anna against his chest with one hand while trying his best to carry the unconscious man on his back with the other. He could hear the laughter of the assaulting demon container behind him.

"Come on! It's no fun if you run away from me!" The boy cackled behind him.

Naruto couldn't believe this. He had encountered a demon container, exactly what he was trying to avoid. And, as his luck would have it, Jigara just so happened to be the container of the five-tailed demon dog, the Gobi no Houkou. In the ten minutes he had been running away from the guy, he had learned two things about him. The first, was that this guy loved to fight, and the second…

…He was totally and completely insane.

Not insane like Gaara had been when he had used Shukaku's power, but anyone could see that the teen wasn't right in the head. He had been talking to himself throughout the battle, yelling so Naruto could hear him. He laughed every time he attacked and made childish sound effects when he destroyed or hit something. Hell, the guy was even _singing_. He would alternate between humming to himself and breaking out in song, clearly enjoying himself. Naruto could not say he liked things as much as the happy Gobi container was.

Naruto knew he had to come up with some plan of action, he just couldn't think of one. It was kind of hard with this crazy guy trailing him, asking bizarre questions out of the blue. Jigara had tried to strike up a conversation several times during his assault. It was also hard to think with he constant ticking in his head. Both were driving Naruto crazy.

He darted behind a fallen building, almost dropping his unconscious cargo in doing so. He set the man on the ground. He held Anna to his chest. The girl shook with fear.

"D-Daddy…" The girl started to weep.

"Shh… we need to be quiet now Anna." Naruto shushed her. "We don't want him to find us." He didn't know if she got the message, but she didn't make a sound.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Jigara said in a sing-song voice. He threw himself at a wall, tearing it to the ground. "You're not over here."

Naruto thought quickly. He couldn't fight him, for fear of Anna or the unconscious guy getting hurt. He had to get away. He could trying slowing the container down or maybe tire him out. He'd have to go with the former for now.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Hm? Oh, so you do have some fight in you!" Jigara smiled gleefully when he saw ten Narutos hop in front of him. "That makes me happy."

"Charge!" One of the Narutos commanded.

They all rushed at Jigara, chakra claws aimed at him. Jigara grinned and made a few hand signs.

"Katon, Housenka no Jutsu!"

Fireballs spewed from Jigara's mouth, hitting all the Narutos dead on. Jigara was surprised when the clones recovered quickly and rushed as him again.

"Huh… you guys didn't go poof. Guess you have more endurance than regular clones." The Gobi container observed with mild interest. "Guess I'll use something stronger."

"Doton, Doryuudan!"

The land rose and shifted, eventually taking the form of a giant dragon. It met the Narutos head on, exploding into rocks and debris as it made contact with one of them. Jigara listened to the poofing sound of the Narutos dispelling as the rocks fell on them.

"How come I only heard nine poofs?"

Suddenly a hand shot up from the ground grabbing Jigara's ankle. It pulled him underground, burying him in the earth. Jigara looked up through half-lidded eyes at the Naruto that stared down at him.

"So… are you the real one then?" Jigara asked. "Is this seriously all you can do?"

"I don't want to fight you." Naruto replied. "I don't want any trouble." He burst in a cloud of smoke.

"A clone." Jigara mumbled. "I hate it when they run away."

Meanwhile, Naruto was trying his best to find a place to hide. The ticking was ringing in his ears. He had to find some place where it would stop. Jigara could find him easily if he had the same way of detecting other demon containers.

It was then that the sound of rushing water became apparent to him. Naruto turned to see a giant spiraling ball of water heading straight for him. His eyes widened as he tried to pick up the pace. It was no use though. He couldn't outrun it while he was carrying someone else. He held tightly onto Anna with his back to the water. He took it on full blast.

X.X.X

"I would suggest sending an elite squad of Jounin to go after the demon. That should take care of him."

"Shouldn't we consider sending more men? For all we know, the demon could have broken the seal already. We should send a large unit of our finest to make sure the boy is put down."

"We have to do this quietly, don't forget. We can't let anyone know that the demon has escaped. We shouldn't make the group too big."

"What if he's made his way to another village now? If he causes any trouble Konoha will take the blame!"

Tsunade listened to the council argue. She sighed. Just a few days ago she was listening to them bicker about how to container Naruto. Now she was listening to them come up with ways to kill him. Oh, why did things have to come to this?

"Hokage-sama. What is your suggestion?"

Tsunade composed herself. At least they were asking for her opinion now.

"I think we should send a small group of ANBU out to search for the target. With Wave as our new ally I think it would be best if notify them as well. We wouldn't want our newest, and first, ally to be harmed by the target because we allowed it to escape."

She almost threw up on her words. She couldn't believe she was speaking about Naruto this way.

"Do you agree with this plan of action, Wave ambassador?" Tsunade asked.

Issac was also attending the meeting. As Wave's ambassador, he had to make sure he knew everything he needed to know to make sure the container couldn't be a threat to his village. Even if it pained Issac to think that Naruto could be called a threat.

"I think it would be best." Issac nodded, turning towards the new hokage. "I couldn't bear to see any of our people hurt." He turned towards his bodyguard. "Could you see to it that a messenger hawk is sent?"

"It will be done." Zabuza, known by a different name to everyone else in the room, nodded and left to complete the errand.

"I'll send some soldiers to Wave. They can search for the target while they are there." Tsunade said. "Will that be acceptable?"

"Your kindness is much appreciated, hokage-sama." Issac smiled. "If it wouldn't be a burden on you, Wave accepts your aid."

"Then with your permission." Tsunade nodded towards him. She turned towards an ANBU next to her. "See to it that a formidable team is mobilized and sent to Wave."

"Yes, hokage-sama." The ANBU bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"No disrespect to Wave, but our people's safety must come before theirs." One council member said. "We have a demon inside our borders, and we must decide who we should send to dispose of the boy."

"We've already notified our border guards of the target's disappearance." Tsunade said. "I don't think we have to rush in making a team. Naruto… I mean the target can't defeat or sneak past our men."

"But the demon could be in control!" One council member pointed out. "That demon could easily get past our border guards, no matter how skilled any of them could be!"

"Indeed. It would be best if we dispose of the boy as quickly as possible."

"No. We need to keep this quiet, as all of us know it would be bad if any of the other nations got word of the target's disappearance." Tsunade replied. "We wait until he reveals himself then apprehend him."

"No! We need someone to get the demon now!"

"We can't let the beast loose in our borders!"

"What if the other nations have already figured it out?"

"Peace, fellow councilmen, peace!"

Everyone turned towards the one who had spoken. Homura, a long time member of the council, had his hand raised. He slowly put it down.

"Rest assured, Kotaru and I have taken care of this issue. We have decided that ROOT will help us take care of this problem. Danzo has already formed a team and is ready to send them out at any time." Homura said calmly.

"Danzo!?" Tsunade exclaimed, rising from her chair. "I didn't approve of this."

"We didn't need your approval to make this decision, Hokage-sama." Kotaru said. The old councilwoman looked at Tsunade with a hard gaze. "The council has rights too. In certain cases, we are allowed to make decisions that would ensure Konoha's safety without the hokage's approval."

"Did it have to be ROOT? Why Danzo?!" Tsunade yelled.

"Tsunade-sama, calm yourself." Shizune whispered from beside her. Tsunade growled and sunk back into her seat.

"I'm sure that we can all agree that Danzo's methods are, to say the least… unorthodox… and it is one of the reasons he was taken off the council." Homura stated. "But he runs ROOT very well, and his men have never failed in finishing a mission. They are efficient, quiet, quick, and can get the job done."

"His men may finish missions quickly, but his soldiers' methods are as unorthodox as Danzo himself!" Tsunade lashed out, losing her temper again. "Naruto is just a boy! Those ROOT members will tear him apart!"

"Tsunade, we know you have just recently become hokage, but you must set aside your personal feelings and do what's in the village's best interest." Homura said sternly.

"We know you care deeply for the boy, but he cannot be allowed to cause harm to our nation." Kotaru said. "I'm sorry, but the decision has been made. You cannot change it. Still, if it would put your mind at ease I have asked Danzo to capture the boy alive, not kill him."

"This is for Konoha, and it must be done with or without your permission." Homura said. "Is the rest of the council satisfied with this decision?"

"Yes!"

"It is for the best."

"Perfect."

"For the people's safety."

"The demon must be stopped!"

Tsunade growled under her breath as she listened to the entire council agree with the two old hags.

"I believe that settles it then." Homura nodded. "Then, with your permission, hokage-sama…?"

"Ugh… council dismissed." Tsunade groaned. She turned towards her secretary. "Shizune, get me a drink."

"B-But Tsunade-sama, you've already had six bottles this afternoon alone, and I don't think you should-"

"NOW!"

"Right away!" Shizune scurried off to find what her master asked for.

"Crap…" Tsunade moaned. She had said herself she would put the village before Naruto, but it felt so wrong. Would she have to act like this all the time?

"I know how it feels."

The new hokage looked up. She saw Wave's ambassador smiling at her.

"It's hard for two people who hold Naruto in such high regards to think of him as our enemy, isn't it?" He smiled.

"Uh… Issac, right?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think of Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

"I think of him as someone who never gives up and always tries to do the right thing." Issac smiled. "He is very kind, and save me, my father, and all of my friends. I think he is incapable of commiting such crimes."

"I think the same way." Tsuande sighed. "I know he's a good kid, he just doesn't have the support he should have. Why can't people see him the way I see him…?"

"A few people do." Issac said. "You, me, and all his friends. He's just lost his way, but we can't seem to help him."

"It's just so difficult for me…" Tsunade sighed. "I don't know what to do…"

"…You know, Wave has a unique alcoholic beverage that I think you will enjoy. One bottle is all it takes to forget your troubles. If you want, I could…"

"I need it."

X.X.X

Naruto slowly opened his eyes. He coughed, water coming out. His back felt light and his arms were empty. His eyes widened.

"ANNA!"

"Daddy…"

He turned and sighed with relief. She was slowly crawling towards him. Completely dry. He had managed to protect her from getting hit by the water blast, she must have been knocked from his arms when he landed. Bar a few smudges of dirt on her face, she was relatively unharmed. Naruto looked behind her. The guy he had been carrying was wet, lying a few feet away. Naruto winced. Oh yeah. He had turned his back to the water, forgetting that there was a guy on his back. Oops.

He slowly got to his feet, picking up Anna as he stood up. He took a look at his surroundings. That water must have traveled far. He was on the outskirts of the town. The buildings behind him had been ripped and torn apart by the rapid surge of water. That container sure was strong.

"Shit."

The ticking was there. Naruto held Anna to his chest, looking around frantically. He was close, very close. Why couldn't he see him?

"Look down."

Naruto jumped out of the way just as Jigara shot up like a rocket from the earth, landing a few feet away from Naruto. He smiled, showing his sharp fangs.

"How's it going?" Jigara smiled.

"Leave me alone." Naruto growled, hugging Anna closer. She shivered in his arms.

"Man, this is disappointing." Jigara sighed. He kicked the earth beneath him. "It's no fun fighting someone who doesn't fight back. I thought I'd get a good rush from fighting the nine-tailed demon container, but all I get is this? Man, two-tails was way more fun than you!"

"Two-tails?" Naruto gasped. He had fought another demon container before?

"Oh yeah. I was trying to get into Kumogakure when I met up with her. Who would've thought a demon container would be on border patrol?" Jigara chuckled. "Anyway, after I had my fun playing with the cat I was going to cut her down but…"

"…But?"

"Then the eight-tailed beast had to show up." Jigara sighed. "What a killjoy. He got the one up on me and I had to run. Man, the eight-tailed demon beast is scary!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He had fought Orochimaru?

"You fought with Hachibi?" Naruto asked.

"Hachibi? What the hell is that?" The five-tailed demon container raised an eyebrow. "I fought the two-tailed demon cat, Nibi no Bakeneko. The eight-tailed beast is the demon Ox, Hachibi no Kyogyu."

Naruto's eyes widened. What was this guy saying? Orochimaru was the host, no, former host of the Hachibi no Hachimata, the demon snake. The eight-tailed demon. Was he saying there was another eight-tailed beast?

"That's not right." Naruto said. "I fought the eight-tailed demon."

"You did? You've been to Kumogakure too?" Jigara asked.

"No." Naruto replied. "The eight-tailed demon is in the form of a snake called the Hachibi no Hachimata, not Kyogyu."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense." Jigara scoffed. "There aren't two eight-tailed demon beasts."

This made no sense. Was one of the two fake? Or did two really exist? If that's true, then were there other doubles of the other demon beasts as well.

"Gah! I've been distracted!" Jigara sputtered. He crouched down on all fours, licking his lips. "Talking is boring! Let's fight!"

"I said no, leave us alone." Naruto glared at him, backing away from the boy.

"Look, either you fight me, or I tear up that baby you seem so fond of." Jigara growled, his voice changing from humorous to threatening.

"…!" Naruto's eyes widened. He glared at the Gobi container. He slowly walked over to the unconscious guy and set Anna down beside him.

"…Mii?" Anna looked up at her father curiously.

"It's going to be okay Anna." Naruto smiled. "Just stay here. I'll take care of this guy then we can get going, okay?"

"…'Kay!" Anna chirped happily. Naruto smiled at her. He turned and made his way over to Jigara.

"I'm ready." Naruto said.

"Good!" Jigara smiled, losing his threatening tone and reverting back to his carefree one. "Before we start, I'm curious. What's your demon's power?"

"I don't know. I don't use his powers." Naruto said as his chakra claws formed around his fingers.

"You don't? That's a surprise!" Jigara said. "I always use mine!"

"Always?" Naruto's eyes narrowed.

It was true. This kid looked like he had gone into partial shift many times before. There were many inhuman features on him Naruto couldn't find them all. It made him wonder…

Was this Jigara or the Gobi he was talking to?

"Are… are you the Gobi?" Naruto asked tentatively.

"Huh? What are you going on about now?" Jigara asked, a bit annoyed by the question.

"I've met other demon containers." Naruto said. Jigara's eyes lit up. "Four, in fact. The three-tailed container had no trouble with her demon. It didn't even speak to her. The four-tailed demon beast was actually friends with its host. The one-tailed demon was trouble for its host though. Its existence made the host's life miserable and he almost turned into the beast. And the eight-tailed beast…" Naruto paused. "…Had completely taken over the host's body. The demon was always in control."

"…What are you getting at?"

"I'm asking you a question." Naruto said. "It's obvious your demon has affected you in more ways in one, so I'll ask you this. Am I talking to Jigara… or the Gobi?"

Jigara just stared at him with an unreadable expressions. Suddenly his shoulders started to shake, a smile spread across his face. Jigara started to laugh. Insanely.

"Friends with the demon? Taking over? I've never heard such crap!" Jigara cackled with mirth. Naruto stared at him.

"…Huh?"

"I'M THE GOBI'S JAILER! HE'S MY PRISONER!" Jigara screamed. "I USE HIS POWER WHENEVERY I WANT! I DON'T NEED HIS PERMISSION! I'M THE ONE THAT'S IN CONTROL, NOT THE DEMON! AND I LOVE IT!"

Naruto took a defensive stance. Jigara rushed towards him, lightning gathered in his hand.

"FIGHT ME!" Jigara laughed.

"The host controls the demon?" Naruto muttered. Jigara slammed into him.

X.X.X

"I'm bored."

Shikamaru slept soundly.

"…I said I'm bored."

Shikamaru turned his back to her.

"Wake up pineapple head."

Shikamaru grunted as a Tayuya kicked his back. Shikamaru opened one eye.

"What do you want from me?"

"Give me my flute back."

"No."

"Now."

"No way."

"Give it back… now…"

"Not happening."

"Dammit! Just give me my flute you asshole!"

"Language."

"You little fu-"

"Oh, would you two knock it off!" Anko yelled at them. Shikamaru and Tayuya winced and shut their mouths. Anko growled to herself as she continued to block Hinata's attacks.

She had been in an extremely bad mood these past few days. Naruto still missing, everyone talking crap about him, Danzo pissing her off, Ibiki couldn't get anything out of the crazy elder or any of the other Hyuugas for that matter, she had just gotten word that they were sending out a team to go find Naruto…

And she couldn't do anything about it.

She hated being coped up in the village when one of her favorite students was out by himself. She knew he was still alive, but he wouldn't be if Danzo's men caught him. She had heard the news from Tsunade that some of the council members had gone behind her back and had asked Danzo to send a team out to get Naruto. She had said they would bring Naruto back alive, but there was no way that was the truth.

Luckily, she had an opportunity. If all went well, she might be able to help the kid after all…

"Yah!"

Hinata thrust her palm forward, aiming for Anko's face. The assassin caught her wrist, twisted it and threw Hinata to the ground. She smirked a bit.

"Too slow."

"Ow…" Hinata moaned.

"Heh heh." Tayuya chuckled. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Are you okay Hinata?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"You kids are improving." Anko smiled. "I'm proud. Maybe I can push you guys a bit harder now.

"Sounds good!" Hinata smiled.

"…Great." Both Shikamaru and Tayuya groaned together. Even with a broken leg, the former sound nin was still forced to take part in their training exercises. She hated it just as much as Shikamaru did.

"Hello everyone."

The foursome turned to see Yamato waving as them. Behind him stood Haku and her team. Shikamaru noticed Anko perk up when she saw Yamato.

"Good to see you Yamato." Anko grinned. "So is everything good to go?"

"Yes. I took care of everything." Yamato smiled.

"Yes!" Anko cheered to herself. Her team looked at her curiously, wondering what she was so happy about. "Now I know I called you here, but what are they doing here?" Anko pointed to the Wave team.

"We just came to say goodbye." Haku smiled.

"You're leaving?" Hinata gasped. "Why?"

"Well, since the papers have been signed and we've become allies of Konoha, we are no longer needed here." Haku smiled. "Tsunade-sama is sending soldiers to our village, so Issac figured that we could go with them so we can get back to the village safely and quickly."

"Why is Tsunade, I mean, the Hokage-sama sending soldiers to your village?" Hinata asked.

"Um…" Haku hesitated. "To… protect us from Naruto. Also so they can search for him around the Wave area."

Everyone fell silent. Naruto's name had become taboo.

"That's… nice of her." Tayuya said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes, it is very nice!" Saki added, also wanting to end the silence.

"That's also what I wanted to talk to you guys about." Anko said, turning towards her team. "See, with Orochimaru gone that leaves the Sound village without a leader. Tsunade is sending out a large team to go and put down the remaining sound ninja who are still loyal to Orochimaru."

"I was selected to be a part of the team she made." Yamato continued. "Anko, who heard about this _begged _me to let her go in my place." He put emphasis on the word begged.

"I did not beg…" Anko mumbled, a bit embarrassed.

"I talked it over with the hokage, and it's been decided that Anko will go in my place."

"Why do you want to go so badly sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Well, it gives me a chance to have some fun with that snake bastard's henchmen." Anko smirked. She sighed. "But it also gives me a chance to look for Naruto. It's a not likely to happen but… I might run into him on my way there."

"Take us with you!" Shikamaru shouted, suddenly standing up. Everyone stared at him in shock.

"I want to go too!" Hinata asserted, determination flashing in her eyes.

"Take me along too!" Tayuya added. Everyone looked at her weirdly. She blushed. "H-Hey, I want to get back at those jerks back at the village too…" She paused. "Plus pineapple head still has my damn flute…"

"Sorry kiddies. It was hard enough convincing Tsunade to let me replace Yamato." Anko smiled sadly. "This is an S-class mission, only ANBU can take part in the mission."

"We've already completed one A-class mission in case you've forgotten." Shikamaru said. "You're not the only one here who wants to find Naruto." Everyone was surprised at his sudden change in attitude.

"Sorry, but this is how it has to be." Anko said sadly. She smiled. "But look at the bright side! Yamato here will be taking my place as your new sensei while I'm gone!"

"Huh?" Her team said in unison.

"I will?" Yamato asked. Apparently he was not informed of this either.

"Yep! So, have fun! See you later Haku! Hope you guys have a safe trip!" Anko chirped. She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"She's… strange." Azrael mumbled.

"I guess we had better go then." Haku sighed. She waved at them. "Maybe we'll see each other at the chunin exams next year, right?"

"Yes." Hinata nodded. "And hopefully Naruto will be back by that time as well."

"I hope so too." Haku smiled. She had her team disappeared from view.

"So, our crazy sensei is going to be gone for a while then." Shikamaru said, smiling a bit. "Looks like we can take it easy for a while."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

They all turned towards Yamato.

"Anko is always telling me how fun it is to work you all to the bone and watch you suffer." Yamato smiled oddly. The trio paled. **"I wish to experience this peculiar pleasure."**

The trio shuddered at the face Yamato made.

X.X.X

Naruto coughed up some blood. His ears were ringing and he gasped for breath. His shoulder was bleeding and his hands were burned. He jerked involuntarily when he felt that lingering electrical sting. He heard Anna sobbing behind him. He growled and tried to hoist himself up from the ground. He couldn't move.

"Man… Is this all you are?"

Naruto looked up at Jigara. The demon container regarded him with a cold glance.

"I hate weak opponents." He growled. "And I hate it when my expectations aren't met."

Earth shifted and wrapped around his leg, coating it with sharp, jagged rock. He kicked Naruto in the stomach. The Kyuubi container cried out when one of the sharp rocks cut across his abdomen.

"C'mon! Stand up!" Jigara yelled, kicking Naruto again. He sent the boy flying a few feet.

"Gah!" Naruto grunted. The pain was unbearable.

"I said stand up!" Jigara shouted.

The earth around his leg dropped back down to the ground and was replaced with an electrical spark. He kicked Naruto again, sending volts of electricity through his body. Naruto jerked and turned as he went through a mini seizure. Anna continued to cry.

"Daddy…" She sobbed. Seeing her father in so much pain was unbearable.

Naruto growled. This was the first time he had faced another demon container in partial shift. Was this what it was like for Hachibi when he used partial shift to fight him?

"Pathetic." Jigara grunted. "You don't even have an elemental. You want me to tell you about it?"

Naruto didn't answer. He just glared at him.

"Everyone has an element. Mine is earth." Jigara said. "We can enhance our ninjutsu, taijutsu, and even genjutsu if we use our elemental power. But the Gobi is special in this case, you know why?"

Naruto grunted.

"Each of his tails has an element." Jigara said. "That's how I can use any type of element, not just earth. The first tail is earth, second fire, third water, fourth wind, and the fifth can combine to form anything. Ice, wood, but my favorite is lightning."

Naruto looked up at the demon container. Elements?

"But this isn't what the Gobi specializes in." Jigara stated. "I'll make you suffer for disappointing me in such a way. You ruined my fun, so I'm going to make your death slow and painful."

Naruto's vision became cloudy. His vision warped and changed. His body started to scream in agony. Naruto cried out in pain.

"Genjutsu is what the Gobi no Houkou specializes in." Came Jigara's echoing and laughing voice. "Suffer. I'll make you suffer in this world that I control."

Naruto felt his arms bending, his legs breaking, his body getting cut and torn to shreds. His breathing became sharp and ragged. He cried out again. Any more of this and he would…

Then he felt a tiny shock.

Not a painful shock like Jigara's lightning attacks, but just a small ping and that was it. The feeling after felt relaxing. Naruto vision came back and suddenly he was in the real world again. He felt something on his side.

Anna was clutching his side, crying for her daddy. Naruto's eyes widened. Did she free him from the genjutsu? How?

"What the hell? How did that brat break my genjutsu?" Jigara gasped. "No one has ever broken out of Gobi's genjutsu before!"

"Anna, what did you do?" Naruto asked. She just continued to cry. Naruto could've sword he saw a small spark jump between her tiny hands.

"You know what? Screw this. I'll kill you myself." Jigara shouted. Earth rose up again, wrapping itself around his arm, shaping into a sharp point. "I'll kill you both. You for ruining my fun and the baby girl for breaking my genjutsu."

Naruto gathered the rest of his strength and pushed himself up, grabbing Anna in the process. He ran away from the demon container. He heard Jigara growl.

"Running won't work. You're as good as de-"

An explosion went off behind Naruto. He was thrown into the air from the blast. He turned and landed on his back so Anna wouldn't be hurt. Naruto looked up and saw considerably large crater where Jigara had been a moment before. The said demon container slowly crawled out of it. His eyes were wide.

"What the… who did that?" His whispered. His eyes widened as he spotted something behind Naruto. The blonde looked at what had surprised the Gobi container into silence.

"Little brat… mocking my beautiful artwork… pissing me off… and my partner doesn't even show up?"

The guy Naruto had found and who he had carried on his back was awake. He had a crazy look in his eye and Naruto could tell he was pissed. His one eye that wasn't obscured by his blonde fringe was paying him no attention and was only aware of Jigara. He held a small white ball in his hand. The man smiled sinisterly.

"I don't care what leader-sama says, you'll burn for insulting my art. I'll show you…" He threw the ball at Jigara…

"ART IS A BANG!"

Naruto covered Anna as he saw the ball detonate. But just before he blacked out and before the explosion could sweep him away, he could feel someone grab him and perform a teleportation jutsu.

X.X.X

"Oi, partner, how much longer 'till we get there?"

"About two days away."

"Hm. Leader-sama sure is cruel sending us all the way here on foot. Bet it brings back memories for you though, right?"

"…You talk too much."

"I wonder if the others have finished their errands yet. I still don't see why Zetsu couldn't do it though. He'd get it done a lot faster than us."

"If Leader-sama tells us to do something, we do it, that's it."

"At least we weren't stuck with Tobi. I kind of feel sorry for Konan, don't you?"

"…Like I said, you talk too much."

"Gonna visit your brother when we get there?"

"…Enough, Kisame."

The fish man smirked. He tipped his hat downwards.

"Just making conversation."

"Hmph."

"We're almost there." Kisame smiled. His brushed off his black cloak which was covered with red clouds. His accomplice wore the same attire. "Guess we should get started, eh, Itachi?"

The mentioned removed his hat. He opened his eyes which contained the red eyes of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Let's get going." Itachi said. "We must see the Nine-tailed Fox."

The two Akatsuki members continued their trek towards the village of Konoha.

X.X.X

A/N: Feels good to be working on this story again. How was this chapter?

Finally. I've gotten all the troublesome chapters over with. With this, I can link all the events together smoothly and work up to the big turning point of the story. I hope you guy will like the surprise I have in store.

Now, I bet you guys are wondering, why are there two eight-tailed demon containers? Which one is the real one? You might have an idea, but you'll be guessing for a while. I probably won't get around to explaining that for quite a few chapters because if I tell you now it would spoil some of the story. Deidara woke up and Itachi and Kisame are headed towards Konoha. But do they know that Naruto's gone? How did Naruto break Gobi's genjutsu? That will be explained next chapter.

Anywho, leave a review and tell me what you thought. Now that I have everything planned out I should have a new chapter soon… maybe.

Kiiam


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